Getty Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell made it clear that he wants to win the Super Bowl.
Right tackle Penei Sewell landed his second contract with the Detroit Lions. So, there’s only one goal remaining — win the Super Bowl.
Sewell addressed how badly he wishes to win the NFL championship while speaking to reporters for the first time after signing his new record contract.
“We need it all,” Sewell said. “I had a conversation with [Amon-Ra St. Brown] after we found out that we were getting the contracts and going to sign — that’s our goal is to host that trophy at the end of the day and to just do that. Just to win, bro.
“There’s nothing else to it. All those individual accolades don’t mean nothing. I want the big boy and I want it now.”
The right tackle also said that “it’s on” when referring to getting better for next season.
Sewell and the Lions very nearly advanced to the franchise’s first Super Bowl in history this past season. They held a 17-point halftime lead against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game.
But the Lions allowed the 49ers to score 27 straight points and eventually lost, 34-31.
Penei Sewell Says He’s Rewatched NFC Championship 10 Times
Sewell generated laughs in his press conference when he said the NFC championship game was a sensitive subject. He may have been joking, but he was likely only half kidding.
The 23-year-old shared that he’s practically had the game on replay this offseason to motivate himself for the upcoming season.
“I’ve watched that game a lot,” Sewell told reporters. “I let it burn just because of how close we were.”
Sewell said that he’s rewatched the game to also see what went wrong and find things to improve on for 2024. He shared that he’s watched the game about 10 times.
“It’s TV copy to iPad to even on my phone.”
It was Detroit’s first trip to the NFC championship since January 1992. They entered the contest as 7-point underdogs. So, in some ways, the Lions should have earned respect from their championship game performance since they held such a big lead on the road against a team that went toe-to-toe with the eventual champion Kansas City Chiefs.
But that’s not how most, including Sewell, appear to view the game. Instead, it’s a heartbreaking moment, but perhaps one that will motivate a lot of Detroit players in 2024.
Lions Sign Sewell to Record-Setting Contract
Sewell emphasized that he wants to win the Super Bowl “now.” But the good news is he will have multiple opportunities to bring a championship to Detroit.
The Lions and Sewell agreed to a 4-year, $112 million extension. The deal included $85 million guaranteed, which is the most ever for an offensive lineman in league history. From an average annual salary standpoint, he will also be the highest-paid lineman in the NFL.
Including Sewell’s fifth-year option, he is under contract with the Lions through the 2029 season.
The same day the Lions signed Sewell, they agreed to a record-setting contract extension with wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown as well. That means two important cornerstones for Detroit’s franchise are locked up for the rest of the decade.
With those two players among the team’s leaders, the Lions figure to push for the Super Bowl, as Sewell desires, this fall.