During a press conference on Monday, August 25, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell gave a candid update on the team’s roster. Coming off two strong seasons, making the NFC championship in 2023 and going 15-2 in ‘24, Campbell has got some good news. Talking about steady improvement within the team, the Lions HC said,
“This is the best we’ve felt about it, kind of top to bottom. Now that being said, there’s still holes, but I bring this up all the time, every roster has holes. You’ll never have it exactly where you totally want it, but from where we’ve come, year after year, this is… we’ve taken it another level.”
“This is the best we’ve felt about it top to bottom.”
-DC on the roster pic.twitter.com/IVZRf9oFhv— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 25, 2025
The Lions’ growth curve under Campbell has, no doubt, been amazing. After a bumpy 3–13–1 rookie season in 2021, Detroit rebounded to 9–8 in ‘22, narrowly missing the playoffs, though. Came 2023, and the team clinched its first NFC North title in 30 years (a win over the Minnesota Vikings). During the ‘24 season, they became one of nine teams in NFL history to win 15 or more games.
In the Monday press conference, General Manager Brad Holmes also earned Dan Campbell’s praise for assembling a roster that’s doing a good job. Alluding to Detroit’s top-scoring offense last season and a defense finishing in the NFL’s top 10 in points allowed and turnover ratio, the 49-year-old said,
“And that’s a credit to Brad. What Brad’s done in the personnel department is outstanding, man. He’s just continued to elevate, you know, I bring up the floor. We know the ceiling, well, we don’t even really know the ceiling. There’s still so many of these players that are continuing to get better and better that are really good players, but by doing that the floor has really been raised. Our baseline is pretty dang good right now.”
The 2025 season kicks off September 7 in Green Bay, and Campbell’s team aims to go all out on wins, point differential, and scoring. However, things have not been so good for quarterback Hendon Hooker.
Dan Campbell hints at a fresh start elsewhere for Hendon Hooker
On August 25, the Lions revealed that Hooker had lost the backup QB battle to Kyle Allen after a not-so-great preseason. When Campbell was asked if he’d like to keep Hooker as the third QB, the head coach suggested that a fresh start elsewhere would do him more good. He further hinted that a “change of scenery” could help the 27-year-old QB reach his potential.
“How much development do you believe there is? We’re talking about Hooker right now, how much development do you believe there still is? Sometimes, does the player need a change of scenery?” Campbell said, per Pro Football Talk.
What’s more, Campbell acknowledged that Hooker has been preparing well. However, that hasn’t really translated to solid performance on the field. Noting the lineup rotations and limited first-team reps, he added,
“I wish Hooker — and I know he does — would have had a better outing, but you’ve got to take it with a grain of salt…”
While Hooker could land on the practice squad if he clears waivers, right now it seems like the Lions are likely to let him explore opportunities outside Detroit as they finalize the 53-player roster.
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