After decades of mostly losing seasons, the Detroit Lions were rarely considered a legitimate rival by any regular opponent. True rivalries require competitive balance, and the Lions rarely provided enough of that to build anything meaningful.
Many legendary careers, whether coaches or players, gained ground by consistently facing the Lions within the same division.
Now, thanks to their recent resurgence, the Lions are finally seen as contenders across the NFL landscape. That success has brought criticism from those unsure how to accept the Lions as winners—questioning their dominance against weaker teams as if it’s unusual. That perception likely isn’t fading anytime soon, and with the NFC North looking strong, real rivalries may soon emerge.
When Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano picked each NFC team’s top current rival, he chose a somewhat expected yet intriguing matchup.
During the Lions’ 2021 rebuild, they hired Brad Holmes as general manager. Holmes had been with the Rams since 2003, spending his final years there (2013–2020) as director of college scouting.
Once in Detroit, Holmes inherited a veteran quarterback who didn’t want to be part of a rebuild. Matthew Stafford asked to be traded to the Rams, and Holmes honored that by dealing him for Jared Goff and several draft picks.
Rams coach Sean McVay didn’t see Goff as capable of winning it all. He was proven right—for a time—when Stafford won the Super Bowl in his first season in Los Angeles.
McVay has admitted on several occasions that he mishandled Goff’s exit, but it’s clear Detroit’s quarterback still uses the trade as personal fuel.
The Lions beat the Rams in the Wild Card Round in 2023 for their first playoff win in over 30 years. They followed it with another win over L.A. in the 2024 opener. A rematch at SoFi Stadium is scheduled for Week 15, and another postseason battle could follow soon after.
Detroit might gain a bigger rival in time. But for now, the overlapping histories—and Goff’s lingering fire—make Rams-Lions a budding feud with more ahead.
