The Detroit Lions have Super Bowl aspirations for the 2025 campaign. They are considered one of the favorites to raise the Vince Lombardi Trophy, and a big reason for that is the leadership of Dan Campbell.
So far, Campbell has said all the right things during the early portion of OTAs concerning the Lions owning one of the most difficult regular-season schedules in the entire league. Now, he is saying all the right things about the players who are absent from team activities as they work to secure new contracts with Detroit’s front office.
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, via. PrideOfDetroit.com, center Frank Ragnow and linebacker Alex Anzalone were not on the field with their teammates for this reason. After being asked for his thoughts on the matter, Campbell explained why he couldn’t be less concerned with the two being away from the team at this time.
“I think what’s great is that any player that I talk to, I have a relationship with, and there’s an open line of communication,” Campbell said. “Whatever I say to those players, I’m not going to say to you guys. I never will. There’s communication that has been great, so I’m not (worried).”
Ragnow and Anzalone will be on the field for the Lions when it matters, and both have been part of the franchise long enough to know how Campbell expects things to get done. Whether these new deals get done or not, the veterans will show up ready to make an impact on the field, or they will find themselves on the sidelines. It is as simple as that.
The easiest way to hurt your value as a player is to take yourself out of the lineup for financial reasons. Detroit’s fan base knows there is a business side to this game, but it is hard to imagine that sitting out meaningful games will do much to boost their value among other teams.
As long as Campbell remains unworried, there are no reasons for Lions fans to be concerned.
