The Detroit Lions are sick and tired of being sick and tired. They've been revered for transforming from perennial dumpster fire to a great, fun, scrappy, hyper-competitive squad under head coach Dan Campbell. However, this group is no longer a happy-go-lucky underdog and has created championship expectations, and David Montgomery knows it.
Montgomery spoke for the Lions locker room when he said they're "tired of being close" to winning a Super Bowl (h/t ESPN's Eric Woodyard). Once a plucky feel-good story, Detroit is entering the upcoming campaign with immense pressure to get over the hump. With that in mind, the veteran running back deemed 2025 the "year of reckoning."
David Montgomery highlights Lions' Super Bowl-or-bust mentality in 2025
"Everybody's tired of being close," Montgomery stated. "It's cool to be close at first, but you don't want to get comfortable with being close all the time."
Detroit has had opportunities in recent seasons but has failed to capitalize. A 17-point halftime lead in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers in 2023 was erased by allowing 24 unanswered points and losing. They earned the conference's top seed in 2024 only for the Washington Commanders to stunningly upset them. In other words, Montgomery and the Lions' frustrations are warranted, albeit their own doing.
Oddsmakers viewed the Lions as near double-digit favorites over the Commanders in their Divisional Round showdown, and it was easy to see why. Detroit was fresh off a bye week after cruising to a 15-2 record and an NFL-best point differential. Meanwhile, Washington was riding the momentum of their burgeoning then-rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, though no one was treating them as a legitimate contender (yet).
Montgomery ostensibly understands the chances the Lions have seen pass them by. He and Detroit don't want fans to remember them for almost climbing the highest mountaintop. They want to be recognized for scaling the hill at its apex, and have everything needed to succeed; now is the time to do it.
"That's not what you want to be known for, especially when you know you've got the guys you've got on this team. You want to finish it, so this is the year for us. The year of the reckoning and the year that we choose that we need to finish."
We detect no lies in Montgomery's comments. Anything short of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara would punctuate what's been an awesome yet disappointing run for Detroit. A title is within reach for the Lions, something the franchise hasn't been able to say much over the past two-plus decades. It's on them to embrace the challenge and seize the moment, which appears to be the mindset.