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The Detroit Lions will be under a ton of pressure during the 2025 NFL season. That may sound odd for a team coming off its best regular season in franchise history. But the stakes have never been higher for the Lions. And it is the first time during the Dan Campbell-Brad Holmes era that the team could loss more games than it did the year before.
Detroit likely won't repeat with a 15-win season in 2025. But Lions fans will be happy as long as their team can gets some wins during the postseason.
The Lions have already faced a good deal of adversity in 2025, and the preseason has not even started yet.
Detroit lost both of its coordinators, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, to head coaching jobs with other teams. Now John Morton and Kelvin Sheppard have to step up and replace them with only one offseason to prepare.
The Lions also have to deal with the sudden retirement of veteran center Frank Ragnow, who hung up his cleats back in June.
Everyone knows that Detroit is a gritty team, but overcoming those obstacles is no easy feat.
But how do the Lions look during the early stages of training camp? Do they look primed for another incredible season, or could they take a step back?
Below we will explore three Lions players who have struggled early at training camp.
Tim Patrick is off to a slow start at Lions training camp
We'll start with a surprising name.
Tim Patrick is a surprise for me because he is a seven-year veteran in the NFL, making this his eighth training camp.
So why exactly is Patrick struggling during this year's training camp?
One reason is that this is his first season in Detroit during the offseason. Patrick joined the Lions just before the start of the 2024 season, but he spent the entire offseason with the Denver Broncos.
Patrick told reporters that he is taking inspiration from the team's younger receivers while he gets up to speed.
“This probably one of the hardest training camps I’ve been around, and for them to handle it the way they’ve been handling it is very encouraging and inspiring,” Patrick said, per Pride of Detroit's Jeremy Reisman. “It makes me want to go harder, because I’ve been slacking a little bit, so they’re picking up my game play.”
It is also worth noting that Patrick, like the rest of Detroit's players, is adjusting to a brand new offensive scheme under new OC John Morton.
“Camp is where you really find who you have, you bond with your teammates, you go to war with them every day, because camp is hard. This is my first time going through a camp like this,” Patrick added.
Patrick may be off to a slow start, but he has proven throughout his professional career that he has what it takes to succeed in the NFL.
“Yeah, starting off a little slow, but I promise you by the time the season comes, I’m gonna be firing on all cylinders,” Patrick concluded.
Patrick hauled in 33 receptions for 394 yard and three touchdowns in 2024.
If Patrick can take a step forward in 2025, he could earn a bigger role in Detroit's new-look offense.
Graham Glasgow, Tate Ratledge struggling in center training camp battle
Unfortunately, both of Detroit's top options at center appear to be struggling early at training camp.
According to Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire, neither player has looked great at center so far.
“Going against (D.J.) Reader and friends hasn't helped, but both centers have had issues creating movement and also sustaining blocks in the pass game,” Risdon explained. “It's hard to say who is going to start the season at center.”
The Lions appear ready to move forward with veteran Graham Glasgow at center based on Campbell's latest remarks.
Glasgow naturally has an advantage over rookie Tate Ratledge. He mostly played guard in college, so transitioning to center is a big change for the rookie.
“Ratledge is learning the position on the fly, having played right guard at Georgia,” Risdon added. “The snapping is there for the eager rookie, but the more cerebral aspects of the job — recognizing the defensive front, calling out protections, working combo blocks — are going to take some time. Ratledge himself admitted that after Saturday's practice, in a chat with Lions legend Lomas Brown that the rookie clearly appreciated.”
This is not what Lions fans want to hear ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
At this point during training camp, it seems that Glasgow has the inside track to win the starting job. That would allow Ratledge to return to right guard for his rookie season.
Glasgow is nothing more than a one-year patch at the position, so slotting him in is not a long-term solution.
For the first time in several seasons, Lions fans may have to keep a worried gaze on the team's offensive line during training camp and the preseason.
