The Detroit Lions enjoyed their best regular-season performance in franchise history in 2024, going 15–2 and securing the top overall seed in the NFC playoff bracket. They were, however, unable to capitalize in the playoffs as a truly brutal rash of injuries decimated the team’s defense and left very, very little margin for error. The Lions were eliminated at home in the divisional round by the Washington Commanders and now look to 2025, where Detroit hopes a luckier campaign awaits
Star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who put forth another first-team All-Pro season in 2024, is very eager to show the world what a healthy Lions roster can do. He’s so eager, in fact, he wants to take on the defending champions as soon as possible.
![The Lions played on opening night in 2023 against the Chiefs](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2400,h_1350,x_0,y_60/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/si/01jkxwhcadbxr26v1wjr.jpg)
Speaking on his St. Brown Podcast alongside his brothers, Osiris and Equanimeous, Amon-Ra made clear his desire to see the Lions selected as the team to do battle with the Philadelphia Eagles for the 2025 NFL season opener.
“Eagles have the home opener next year, because they won the Super Bowl,” St. Brown said. “Can I read you the list of teams that could be in that first game? Commanders, Cowboys, Giants, Bears, Lions, Raiders, Rams, Broncos. Out of all those teams, if you’re the NFL, who are you putting in there?”
When his brothers both responded they’d choose the Lions, St. Brown emphatically agreed. “That’s what I’m saying. So we might be playing opening night.”
“You would see what our healthy defense, how that s— operates,” St. Brown later said.
When the playoffs first began a Lions-Eagles NFC championship game was very much in play as they were the top two sides in the conference, and home field advantage is never felt more than in the postseason. Obviously that didn’t come to be, but St. Brown is clearly raring for a chance to show what his team has after a truly dominant run by Philadelphia.
It will be a few months before the world finds out whether it will indeed be the Lions at Eagles on opening night.