Detroit Lions: David Montgomery declares 2025 “Accountability Year”

ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery has expressed the team’s determination not to settle for “being close” to winning the Super Bowl. He has stated that the 2025 season will be the “accountability year”. After a historic 2024 season, with 15 victories, the Lions, who led the standings, failed to achieve their goal of reaching the Super Bowl, suffering an unexpected defeat in their first playoff game against the Washington Commanders.

Everyone is tired of being close. It’s fine at first, but you don’t want to get used to being close all the time.

David Montgomery

The team opened training camp on Sunday at the Meijer Performance Center with a fighting spirit, despite having won consecutive NFC North titles. The disappointment over the end of last season, a 45-31 home defeat to Washington in the NFC divisional round, still lingers in the team, especially for Montgomery, who has high aspirations for next season.

This is probably the biggest hunger I’ve had because I feel like a lot of people forget that I’m also here on the offense. I’m not here to prove anyone wrong, I’m here to prove that I’m right and be the best teammate I can be.

David Montgomery

The Lions claim they now share a common understanding of what it takes to complete the mission in Detroit. Head coach Dan Campbell has emphasized the importance of sacrificing from the start to win it all.

You don’t work for almost. You work for everything.

Kalif Raymond

There is also an additional level of maturity in the organization that Raymond recognized after experiencing the entire construction process in Detroit since 2021, when Campbell first arrived.

It’s a mature team. It’s great to see these guys grow, but the most important thing is to see these guys become professionals because they are veterans now. The team’s maturity has been phenomenal.

Kalif Raymond

The Lions are one of the four active NFL franchises without a Super Bowl appearance, along with the Cleveland Browns, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Houston Texans. Detroit has the second-best odds of winning the NFC.

I’m still as excited as ever. I know these guys are. There’s a price to pay to get back in the dance, back in the tournament, and that will never change. If we let that slip, then we’ll be sitting here at home in January, and that’s not what we want.

Dan Campbell