The Detroit Lions failed to reach the NFL playoffs this season, but 2026 could look considerably easier for Dan Campbell if his team finishes the current campaign in the fourth spot of the NFC North. A fourth-place finish would allow the Lions to avoid facing the Rams next season, a notable difference when shaping their upcoming schedule.
As Colton Pouncy of The Athletic noted on X, a third-place schedule would send the Lions on the road to face the Rams, while also hosting the Colts and Commanders. Sliding to fourth, however, would line up road games against the Cardinals and home matchups with the Titans and Giants, a far softer path on paper.
Pouncy also wrote in his post, “Curious if the Lions rest some veterans in the season finale to secure a fourth-place schedule,” raising the possibility that Campbell could be willing to give backups deeper on the depth chart extended opportunities rather than pushing for a win in that game.
The Lions’ 2026 schedule
Much of the Lions’ 2026 schedule is already known, with only three games still to be determined. As Pouncy outlined in his post on X, the most favorable outcome for Detroit would be adding the Cardinals, Titans, and Giants to the schedule.
| Home | Away |
| Chicago Bears | Atlanta Falcons |
| Green Bay Packers | Buffalo Bills |
| Minnesota Vikings | Carolina Panthers |
| New Orleans Saints | Chicago Bears |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Green Bay Packers |
| New England Patriots | Miami Dolphins |
| New York Jets | Minnesota Vikings |
| NFC East TBD | NFC West TBD |
| AFC South TBD |
Of course, there is no guarantee those teams will remain at the bottom. The Cardinals are closing the 2025 season with a poor record that includes more than 10 losses, and both the Titans and Giants are in similar positions, though New York is widely expected to struggle again. Arizona, however, could be a different story, particularly with Kyler Murray, who remains one of the league’s more unpredictable quarterbacks.
see also
Dan Campbell’s net worth: How much money does the Detroit Lions head coach own?
How many times has Campbell missed the playoffs?
The 2025 season will mark the third time Dan Campbell has missed the playoffs with the Lions. His first two seasons, 2021 and 2022, ended without a postseason appearance, before the team enjoyed a strong run beginning in 2023. After a relatively promising start to 2025, with five wins in the first eight weeks, expectations were that Detroit would return to the postseason but that never materialized.
