The Detroit Lions are officially finished with the exhibition portion of their schedule, having emerged with a 2-1 winning record thanks to their victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis. Now, the real work begins.
The Lions will begin preparation for the 2026 NFL regular season, which officially kicks off for them on September 13 against the visiting New Orleans Saints at Ford Field in Detroit.
Between now and then, the Lions coaching staff, which includes new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, will have several decisions to make on which players who suited up during preseason play will earn a coveted roster spot.
Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell Speaks Honestly About His Roster Following The Preseason
For Lions head coach Dan Campbell, who already knows the rigors of playing in the NFL as a former tight end himself, he knows it won’t be easy having conversations with players that the club must inform won’t be a part of their future plans.
“For those guys that have laid it on the line with us, some of these guys we may have to let go have been with us for a year and been in our program and given us everything they had … We may have to say, ‘Hey, that we’re going to have to move on.’ That’s a sick feeling, and I hate that for those guys,” Campbell said. “And like I told them, all I can give them is my respect. Look, that’s hard. But I appreciate them, appreciate everything they did.”
Meanwhile, Campbell also acknowledged that their three preseason games gave him and the rest of the coaching staff some clarity as to what their final 53-man roster could look like.
“To me, I got some clarity,” he said. “I could just feel it in a couple of areas. And then there are a couple that are muddy now. I’ll be honest with you, there’s a couple that are a little muddy. You know, you think you know, this is probably where you’re gonna go, but that’s why you play out the last one. That’s why you gave them a chance to go out and compete one more time because you want to see them again under the lights and see how they respond and are they learning, are they growing?”
The Lions’ Backup Quarterback Position May Have Been Decided On Saturday
Cuts and initial rosters are due on Sunday evening, and Saturday’s contest against the Colts gave the Lions and their coaching staff a good idea of what their final roster could look like when the regular season opener rolls around on September 13.
And one of the decisions that Campbell will have to make is who ultimately gets the backup job behind starting quarterback Jared Goff. Thanks to the strong performance of Joshua Dobbs, whom the Lions signed to a one-year contract following the retirement of Teddy Bridgewater, he could be in line for that coveted spot.
“I thought Dobbs really played well today,” Campbell said of Dobbs. “I thought he really showed out and I just love his composure and conviction. He knows what he wants and we scored.”
Dan Campbell Gives Candid Assessment Of Lions Roster After Preseason Finale