The Detroit Lions will close out their 2025–26 NFL season with a tough matchup against a familiar face. Detroit faces its former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears on Sunday, January 4, in what will be the Lions’ final game of the season.

For the first time since 2022, head coach Dan Campbell and the Lions have been eliminated from playoff contention. Despite having nothing tangible on the line, Campbell has made it clear that Detroit will not treat this game lightly.

Lions Playing for Pride After Playoff Elimination

The Lions were officially eliminated from the postseason on Christmas Day (December 25) following a 23–10 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings, according to NFL research.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, December 31, Campbell reflected on the disappointment of the season’s collapse.

“Sometimes you got to hit rock bottom before you can work your way back up,” Campbell said. “And relative to where we were at, this is rock bottom. But as bad as it looks, it’s not as far away as it may seem. We just got to get a few things back in line.”

Campbell emphasized that effort will not be lacking in the season finale.

“We got one more, and what we are willing to do to try to get this win,” he added.

Ben Johnson, Bears Won’t Take It Easy vs Lions

At first glance, it might appear that the Chicago Bears could rest players, having already clinched a playoff spot. However, that will not be the case.

Despite being eliminated from contention for the No. 1 seed in the NFC after a December 28 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Bears are still fighting for the No. 2 seed, giving them plenty of motivation.

Johnson made that clear when speaking to reporters on Wednesday, December 31.

“We’re constantly improving. That’s the goal,” Johnson said. “We’ve got a lot of young players where each week you do see growth. We’re going to stay true to our process. This is the next one.”

Johnson also pointed to the importance of momentum heading into the postseason.

“Coming off a loss like that, you don’t want to go into the playoffs with two losses in a row. You want momentum. That’s part of the thought process.”

Previously, Johnson stated that the Bears were “playing to win” down the stretch and promised the team would be playing its best football in December—something that has clearly materialized.

Ben Johnson Not Concerned About Injury Risk

While many NFL teams choose to rest starters late in the season to avoid injuries, Johnson has no plans to pull back against Detroit, which spells bad news for the Lions.

Johnson credited the Bears’ veteran leadership for the team’s strong late-season push.

“I would credit our veteran leadership for that,” Johnson said. “Usually when you have a really young team, you ride the wave more. We’ve got a good core of veteran leaders that keep the main thing the main thing in the locker room.”

With the Bears set to play their starters and the Lions desperate to end the season on a positive note, Detroit faces a difficult task in its final game—one made even harder by a determined Ben Johnson-led Bears squad.