The Honolulu Blue faithful are currently in that weird, itchy transition phase. You know the one. The regular season is over, the cleats are being cleaned out of lockers, and suddenly Sunday afternoons feel hauntingly empty. If you’re looking for when is the next Detroit Lions game, the short answer is a bit of a sting: there isn’t one for a while.
Detroit wrapped up their 2025 campaign with a gritty 19-16 win over the Chicago Bears on January 4, 2026. While finishing with a 9-8 record and a four-year winning streak sounds decent on paper, it wasn't enough to crack the postseason tournament this time around. Because the Minnesota Vikings swept the head-to-head matchup, the Lions officially landed in fourth place in the NFC North.
Basically, the "next" game is technically the preseason opener in August 2026, followed by the regular-season kickoff in September. But the real action starts way before the first whistle.
Breaking Down the 2026 Detroit Lions Schedule and Opponents
Even though we don’t have the exact dates and kickoff times yet—the NFL usually drops that massive schedule release bomb in mid-May—we already know exactly who Detroit is playing. Since they finished fourth in the division, the 2026 rotation gives them a "fourth-place schedule."
This is actually a bit of a silver lining. Instead of facing the gauntlet of division winners, the Lions get matched up against teams that also struggled last year.
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Home Games at Ford Field:
- The North: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings.
- NFC South: New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- AFC East: New England Patriots, New York Jets.
- The "Place" Matchups: Tennessee Titans (AFC South 4th place), New York Giants (NFC East 4th place).
Road Trips for the Lions:
- The North: Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota.
- NFC South: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers.
- AFC East: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins.
- The "Place" Matchup: Arizona Cardinals (NFC West 4th place).
Honestly, looking at that road slate, Dan Campbell and his crew have some frequent flyer miles coming. Trips to Miami and Arizona are nice for the fans, but Buffalo in the late fall? That’s a different beast entirely.
Why the 2025 Season Missed the Mark
A lot of people are scratching their heads. How does a team with Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown—both of whom just notched All-Pro honors—miss the dance? It came down to a brutal December.
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The Lions hit a three-game skid late in the year, losing to the Rams, Steelers, and a heartbreaking 23-10 Christmas Day loss to the Vikings. That loss in Minnesota was the final nail. It’s the first time since 2022 that Detroit hasn't made the playoffs, and the "sting," as St. Brown put it recently, is definitely fueling the locker room's offseason workouts.
Jack Campbell has emerged as a legitimate monster at linebacker, earning a first-team All-Pro nod. Having that kind of anchor in the middle of the defense is huge, but the secondary still feels like it’s a piece or two away from being elite.
Critical Dates Before the Next Game
If you’re a die-hard, you aren’t just waiting for September. You’re waiting for the transactions. The "game" is now played in the front office.
- The NFL Draft (April 23-25, 2026): This is the big one. Detroit is currently slated for the No. 17 overall pick. Brad Holmes has a track record of finding gold in the mid-to-late first round, and with seven total picks this year, expect some aggressive moves.
- Free Agency (March 2026): This is where the Lions need to shore up that offensive line depth. Sewell is a rock, but the unit lost some of its "swagger" late in 2025 according to the players.
- Schedule Release (May 2026): This is when we find out if the Lions are playing on Thanksgiving again (almost certainly) and how many prime-time slots they’ve kept despite the playoff miss.
Misconceptions About the 2026 Season
Some fans think that finishing fourth in the NFC North means the team is sliding backward. It’s easy to feel that way after the highs of 2024. However, the NFC North is arguably the toughest division in football right now. When every team is hovering around .500 or better, a single injury or a bad bounce on a Thursday night game can shift the entire standings.
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The Lions finished 9-8. In many other years or divisions, that’s a Wild Card lock. The focus for 2026 is clearly on "separation"—getting better at creating space on offense and closing out those one-score games that slipped away in December.
What to Do While You Wait
Since there isn't a next Detroit Lions game to watch this Sunday, the best way to stay plugged in is to track the draft prospects. Names like Mykel Williams or some of the top-tier cornerbacks coming out of the SEC are already being linked to Detroit’s 17th pick.
You can also keep an eye on the Senior Bowl (January 31) and the Combine in February. Brad Holmes loves guys who show out in those environments.
Next Steps for Lions Fans:
- Check the Draft Order: Monitor if the Lions trade any of their two sixth-round picks to move up in the second or third rounds.
- Follow the Recovery: Watch for updates on the offensive line’s health. Penei Sewell has been vocal about the group needing to regain their "identity" this spring.
- Set a Calendar Reminder: Mark May 14th as a likely date for the full schedule reveal, which will finally give us a real countdown to kickoff.
The wait for the 2026 season feels long, but for a team with this much young talent, the offseason is just the prologue for what usually ends up being a very loud autumn in Detroit.