Brad Holmes arrived as the general manager of the Detroit Lions in 2021, and since then, the Honolulu Blue have made two playoff appearances under his watch. His roster-building skills have strengthened Detroit over the years, but he often comes under scrutiny for lacking an aggressive approach, which has been holding the team back from reaching Super Bowl glory.
Holmes’ cautious approach was questioned once again recently after the Los Angeles Rams general manager, Les Snead, made the bold move to land last season’s Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, making the franchise an easy Super Bowl contender ahead of the 2026 season.
“As a general manager, we have to evaluate, are you (Brad Holmes) putting your team in the best position to win the Super Bowl,” said Jeff Iafrate on Woodward Sports Network. “Since 2018, there have been three NFC teams that have been consistently either in Super Bowl or have won a Super Bowl: Rams, Eagles, and 49ers. Let’s take a look at their GMs. Les Snead, Howie Roseman, John Lynch. What do all three of these GMs have in common? They are aggressive.”
Rams, 49ers, and Eagles Brought In Proven Stars to Build Championship-Worthy Squads
Bringing in Myles Garrett to Los Angeles was one of the several masterstrokes played by the Rams’ general manager, Les Snead. In 2021, the franchise traded Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions. The move allowed them to win the Super Bowl, while he also won the NFL MVP in 2025. With Snead in charge, they also traded the likes of Jalen Ramsey and Von Miller, who were instrumental to their Super Bowl-winning campaign.
The San Francisco 49ers general manager, John Lynch, took a similar path after being hired in 2017. They traded premium stars like Christian McCaffrey, Chase Young, and Trent Williams under their current GM. Although the Niners didn’t win the Lombardi Trophy, they fell short of it twice in 2020 and 2024.
Likewise, the Philadelphia Eagles got AJ Brown through a trade deal in 2022 and six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay from the Detroit Lions in 2020. Furthermore, the Eagles GM Howie Roseman pressed the right button by signing Saquon Barkley. These two trades and the signing were instrumental to their Super Bowl-winning 2024 campaign.
However, Brad Holmes is yet to make such a bold move since taking up the role of general manager of the Lions, and Myles Garrett’s recent trade brought that debate back to the spotlight.
Why Is Brad Holmes’ Strategy Criticized?
Instead of cashing in on a superstar like Myles Garrett, who could be a game-changing move for the franchise, Holmes prefers to keep the draft picks. Championship teams usually don’t keep waiting for the rookie to develop for two or three years to figure it out. Instead, getting a Hall of Fame-worthy player provides elite production from Week 1.
GettyDetroit Lions GM Brad Holmes
When the Lions enter the postseason with a thin roster, Holmes often relies on the short-term, inexpensive depth players instead of making bold moves to land a true difference-maker, who could be an equally effective replacement. Had the 46-year-old chased the seven-time Pro Bowler, his partnership with Aidan Hutchinson would have made the Lions’ defense one of the best in the league in the 2026 campaign.
Lions GM Brad Holmes’ Super Bowl Goal Questioned After Myles Garrett Trade