The 2025 Detroit Lions season will be remembered as a stunning collapse — and veteran offensive lineman Dan Skipper didn’t shy away from that reality.

Following Detroit’s official elimination from the NFL playoff race, Skipper delivered a brutally honest assessment of a season that fell far short of expectations. When asked postgame about the disappointment, the longtime Lions lineman summed it up in four blunt words:

“Going to Cancun early.”

Speaking to reporters via the Detroit News, Skipper acknowledged how far the Lions had fallen after entering the year as legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

“We had aspirations of doing a lot. Here we are, going to Cancun the first week of January. It sucks,” Skipper said.

Offensive Line Collapse Defined Lions’ Season

One of the defining storylines of Detroit’s 2025 season was the dramatic regression of what was once one of the NFL’s best offensive lines.

The unit was thrown into turmoil after All-Pro center Frank Ragnow abruptly retired, forcing the Lions to reshuffle key positions. Young linemen were pushed into major roles, including Christian Mahogany, who is only in his second season, along with rookies Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier, both drafted in 2025.

Skipper, now 31, took personal responsibility for the group’s struggles and admitted he failed as a veteran leader.

“Part of my job is pulling some of these young guys along, and I didn’t do a good enough job with that — clearly,” Skipper said.
“If I can get these guys a little bit better every day, if I can do a little bit more… clearly I did not do enough. We didn’t get it done.”

Expectations vs. Reality in Detroit

Detroit entered the season hoping to build on a 15-win campaign in 2024, with aspirations of another deep postseason run. Instead, the Lions unraveled down the stretch and were eliminated before Week 18.

Skipper didn’t sugarcoat his frustration.

“I don’t know how else to say it,” he said.
“I think we all need to take a good, long look in the mirror, reflect, figure out how we can improve and give the city a team they’re proud of again — because this year was unacceptable.”

Jack Campbell Also Takes Accountability

Linebacker Jack Campbell echoed Skipper’s sentiments, admitting the team failed to live up to its potential.

“Obviously it’s disappointing based on what I think we’re capable of,” Campbell said.
“But again, you’ve got to go do it. We didn’t do it.”

Campbell took responsibility for the defense, noting a lack of game-changing plays at key moments.

“Just honestly super frustrated. I’ll take all the heat defensively,” Campbell said.
“We didn’t make enough spark plays. We didn’t get turnovers. In those types of games, you have to.”

Looking Ahead to 2026

The Lions now head into the offseason searching for answers after one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. Veteran leaders like Skipper and Campbell have made it clear: accountability starts in the locker room.

Whether Detroit can regroup and return to contention in 2026 remains the biggest question facing the organization.