The Detroit Lions enter the 2026 season with high expectations despite a disappointing 2025 season. And the league is witnessing major changes after multiple blockbuster moves during the offseason.

One NFL analyst believes Detroit remains closer to a championship breakthrough than many realise. NFL.com’s Eric Edholm recently ranked the teams most likely to win their first Super Bowl and placed the Lions second on his list.

“Even after a 9-9 slip-up season, missing the playoffs, the Lions appear well-equipped to bounce back,” wrote Edholm. “His team is also fairly loaded, everything considered, with a battle-tested QB in Jared Goff, other strong offensive components, and some fire-power on defense.”

With the recent Myles Garrett trade, the Rams have moved up to the number 1 Super Bowl favorites, as per Ben Fawkes from Yahoo Sports.

But the Lions are still close, as per Edholm. He also stated how head coach Dan Campbell’s aggressive approach, which became a major talking point during the second half of the season, was not much of an issue either.

“There might be some who believe the Lions are on the downswing, but Campbell has lived by this sword previously and had success.”

The analyst also mentioned how, despite the competition in their division, the Lions’ schedule could be helpful.

“The division is a monster, and the Lions aren’t sneaking up on anyone these days, but the schedule lines up pretty favorably to take back the NFC North.”

The Lions open with favorable home games against the Saints and Jets, plus matchups against weaker NFC South and several bottom-tier teams. While they play tough divisional games against the Packers, Vikings, and Bears twice each, plus a tough early road game at Buffalo, overall projections rank it as one of the season's easiest schedules.

However, one NFL analyst predicts the Lions to also be a part of a blockbuster move.

NFL Analyst Predicts Lions To Trade Star To Super Bowl Contender

The Detroit Lions have been great at drafting and developing stars over the last few years. However, according to one NFL analyst, they could trade away star tight end Sam LaPorta.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay made a list of 5 hypothetical trades that would be on the level of the Myles Garrett trade to the Rams. He predicted that the Lions could trade LaPorta to the Kansas City Chiefs for a first and third-round pick in 2027. However, there are a few reasons for this prediction.

The Lions have already extended a few of their players to big contracts, and trading LaPorta would allow them to pass on another massive contract extension. Also, the fact that LaPorta is still nursing a back injury, which forced him to miss half of the 2025 season, is also concerning.

“The Lions would be taking a hit in 2026 without LaPorta. They could be well-positioned for future stability by dealing the 25-year-old for a package of premium draft picks,” wrote Kay.

Kay also added that the Chiefs make sense as a trade partner due to them looking for a long-term replacement for Travis Kelce.

“LaPorta would immediately slot in as Travis Kelce’s much-needed heir, working alongside the aging tight end in 2026 and taking over as one of the primary receiving threats in Kansas City’s dynamic offense once the future Hall of Famer hangs up his cleats.”

Do you think trading LaPorta is wise considering the circumstances? Let us know in the comments! 

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Written by

Dhruv Vishnu Nair

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi