Detroit Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown isn’t over the dismal results of last season, and said he’s using the disappointment as motivation for 2026.
The Lions fell short of the playoffs for the first time in three years, with a late-season swoon dropping them out of the race. The team experienced some deep struggles on offense, but St. Brown said he’s working hard to improve and bring the team back to Super Bowl contention.
Amon-Ra St. Brown Ready for Big Season
In an interview with ESPN’s Eric Woodyard, St. Brown said he’s excited for the opportunity to put the disappointing 2025 season in the rear-view mirror.
“I’ve been excited to get back to work. I feel like last year, we had a disappointing season as a team. That’s how we feel internally. So, I’ve just been excited to get back to work,” St. Brown said. “I’ve been motivated as ever. I feel like I’m motivated every year, but this year, I feel like it was a little different.”
While St. Brown was not the problem for the Lions — he finished the year with 117 receptions for 1,401 yards and 11 touchdowns — the team did struggle to find consistent production on offense.
St. Brown managed to accumulate those gaudy numbers despite an abbreviated offseason. He underwent surgery after the completion of the 2024 season, leaving him sidelined through much of the team’s early practices.
The All-Pro wide receiver said he’s excited to get back to a full offseason.
“I didn’t really have an offseason the year before because I came off surgery, so to have a healthy offseason was nice for me,” St. Brown said, via ESPN. “Just training and getting back to work, getting back to the grind and now being back in Detroit, back with the guys, OTAs starting up. Practices about to start up. We’re all excited.”
Lions WR Bullish on 2026 Season
St. Brown expressed optimism in the team’s upcoming season, saying he felt confident in the team’s core of players and the offseason additions. The Lions are trying to return to the playoffs after two straight NFC North titles and a trip to the NFC title game in 2024.
“I feel like our whole nucleus is still with us. A lot of our best players are still with us and have been with us, so I feel like when you’ve got the players that we have, I can go down the list of the guys — offensively, defensively and special teams… Jack Fox, Jake Bates,” St. Brown said. “We’ve got a bunch of guys on our team, so when you’ve got the nucleus that we have, I think you always have a shot at the big one. So, we’ve just got to put it together.
“We’ve got some free agents, signed some good guys, drafted some good guys so we’ve got the coaches,” he said. “We’ve got to put the work in. OTAs, training camp, end of season, it’s going to be tough things that happen throughout the season, but if you can overcome those, I think we’ll be fine.”
Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown Makes Bold Statement on 2026 Season