The Detroit Lions failed to make the playoffs, and general manager Brad Holmes provided some thoughts about what went wrong from the Lions’ practice facility in Allen Park on Thursday, Jan. 8.
Holmes spoke to the media in his annual end-of-season news conference and graded his performance this season as a failure, much like coach Dan Campbell.
Detroit finished a disappointing 2025 season at 9-8, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2022 and finishing in last place in the NFC North. Campbell gave himself an “F” for his performance this season, while the organization fired offensive coordinator John Morton on Tuesday, Jan. 6.
“Bottom line is, for our standards, this was a disappointment,” Holmes said. “If we’re not in the dance and we’re not competing for a championship, it’s a failure.”
Though the Lions were relatively conservative in the free agent market ahead of the 2025 season, that may change in 2026 with plenty of impact free agents who could play big roles on the 2026 roster. The Lions also have the No. 17 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, with tons of speculation on who Detroit will select in the early rounds.
Holmes gave some early indications as to what the Lions may prioritize in the offseason, including an edge rusher to pair with star defender Aidan Hutchinson. He also didn’t commit to running back David Montgomery returning to the Lions next season, saying, “We would love for it to be here, but if it can’t be here, then you would just have to see if you can work out the best for him.”
Here are some more details from the news conference:
Brad Holmes doesn’t commit to keeping David Montgomery
Holmes said that Lions running back David Montgomery had a “tough year” but said that the team “loves” him as a player.
“He deserves to be in a situation where his skill set can be utilized,” he said. “We would love for it to be here, but if it can’t be here, then you would just have to see if you can work out the best for him.”
Brad Holmes on edge rushers: “Going to look and replenish opposite of Hutch”
Holmes complimented Lions edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad’s performance opposite of Aidan Hutchinson, but said that the Lions will be looking for an edge rusher to compliment Hutchinson.
Both Muhammad and edge rusher Marcus Davenport, who missed much of the season with an injury, will be free agents ahead of the 2026 season.
Brad Holmes on Kerby Joseph: “He’s going to have the necessary time to get the rehab”
Holmes said that safety Kerby Joseph, who is suffering from a knee injury that might affect him for the rest of his career, tried to urgently come back from his injury during the season.
“What became hard was [he was] trying to urgently get healthy enough to play during the season, and that’s the reason why we waited so long to put him on [injured reserve],” he said.
Holmes added that Joseph isn’t rehabbing as urgently right now, which could help him get better for the 2026 season.
Brad Holmes calls signing Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs a priority
With tight end Sam LaPorta and running back Jahmyr Gibbs available for contract extensions in 2026, Holmes called signing the two offensive stars “a priority” for 2026.
However, injuries may impact the situation for LaPorta and safety Brian Branch, who is also eligible for an extension. Both suffered season-ending injuries in 2025. Holmes said “more medical information has to be gathered” about both players before making contract decisions on either player.
Brad Holmes on defense: “When you lose some impact players, you’re gonna have some hurdles”
Holmes said the team leaned on depth guys too much for important defensive roles down the stretch, adding that the team’s run defense was “uncharacteristic” late in the season.
“We’ve normally been relatively very good in the run defense, and it just was not clicking,” he said. “We’re going to look at everything. I’m always going to look at players first, but I’m sure me and Dan, we’re going to look at players, scheme, the whole calculus.”
Brad Holmes on fired OC John Morton: “You have to just make the tough decision”
Holmes said that former Lions offensive coordinator John Morton, who was fired this week after just one year on the job, did “a lot of good things” with the Lions. But in the end, the organization decided the time was right to let Morton go considering the availability of certain candidates.
Holmes said the team is looking for a “detail-oriented” replacement for Morton. It was reported shortly before Holmes took the podium that the team has reached out to former Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel.
Brad Holmes on O-Line: “It hasn’t been ignored”
Holmes was asked about the team’s response to the sudden retirement of longtime center Frank Ragnow, saying that the team tried to make moves to help bolster the offensive line.
“You’d be surprised about the moves that we tried to do that we could not get done that involved offensive linemen,” he said. He later added that the team and Ragnow have gone their separate ways and that he doesn’t expect Ragnow to return in 2026.
He also addressed the potential retirement of left tackle Taylor Decker, saying “I’m not sure what Decker’s going to decide to do, but you know, not only will it have to be urgent in the offseason, but it has been urgent in the past.”
Holmes went on to say that tackle Gio Manu, who the Lions drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 draft, is not necessarily Decker’s replacement. He was later asked whether Manu would be ready to compete for the role, responding that the team doesn’t know yet but hopes he can be ready for 2026.
Regarding offensive guard Tate Ratledge, who could be an option at center, Holmes hasn’t committed to a position for him next season but says the Lions will be looking at centers in the draft or free agency.
“Nothing’s gonna change fundamentally” about offseason process
Holmes said he would examine potential changes the Lions could make about their offseason process after underwhelming results in 2025, but that “nothing’s gonna change fundamentally” about the team’s process heading into the 2026 season.
He went on to say that changes would be more incremental and not necessarily as aggressive as many fans would hope, saying: “I don’t want to sit here and say that just more activity is going to be the answer … but that’s not to say that we won’t do something that’s in that ‘splash’ category.”
Brad Holmes gives opening remarks
Holmes started the press conference by thanking players and coaches in the Lions organization, but ultimately said the season was a failure.
“Bottom line is, for our standards, this was a disappointment,” he said. “If we’re not in the dance and we’re not competing for a championship, it’s a failure.”
Lions interested in Mike McDaniel
The Lions have reached out to former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel about their open offensive coordinator role, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
McDaniel coached Miami from 2022-25, leading the Dolphins to playoff appearances in his first two seasons before falling to a disappointing 7-10 mark in 2025. Many NFL experts consider McDaniel to be the best offensive thinker on the market.
Brad Holmes news conference livestream
Holmes will hold his end-of-season news conference at 4 p.m. ET, with a livestream available on YouTube.
Lions free agent targets
The Lions have needs on the offensive line, with their pass rush and in their secondary, all of which can be addressed through free agency.
But who can the Lions target? Here’s a list of 13 free agents Detroit should consider signing in the offseason.
Lions mock draft roundup
The Lions have the No. 17 overall pick in the upcoming draft, and there are many directions they could choose to follow with it.
Some experts see the Lions choosing an offensive tackle with their first-round pick, with others seeing Detroit taking a cornerback. Check out our latest mock draft roundup for details.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Brad Holmes calls Lions season ‘a failure’ in end-of-season presser
Reporting by Christian Romo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
