The Detroit Lions had their most successful season in decades this year, and as disappointing as it is a one-and-done playoff exit can’t completely take that away. The Lions are also paying the price for that success, as several assistant coaches have departed for promotions elsewhere.

But the core group of players remains in place until further notice, as does (of course) head coach Dan Campbell. So a proverbial “Super Bowl window” remains open for the Lions, however it may already be closing little by little with each year the ultimate goal isn’t reached.

After the Divisional Round loss to the Washington Commanders, blame was placed all-around from all angles. Now-departed coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn were too distracted by virtual head coaching interviews that took place before the Lions even knew their playoff opponent, some said.

Quarterback Jared Goff had a rough game against the Commanders, and he became a lightning rod for blame too. He also had a lackluster game in the regular season finale, but those bad outings shouldn’t erase the great season he had.

One-sentence assessment of Lions’ 2024 season sums up fans’ fears

Another price of the Lions’ success, rooted in drafting so well, is multiple players being lined up for big contracts. Goff got a hefty contract extension last offseason, as expected all along, and his cap hit more than doubles from 2025 ($32.6 million) to 2026 ($69.6 million). Restructuring gymnastics can of course reduce Goff’s cap numbers, but it will get difficult to keep everyone who might be deserving of a lucrative contract with so much cap space devoted to Goff.

Concise postseason assessment of 2024 Lions is the sum of all fears for fans

Goff’s performance against Washington has somewhat reignited a conversation about where his ceiling is when it comes to performance in the biggest games of a season. He shouldn’t be brushed off as a “system quarterback”, but when things are less than ideal warts do start showing.

After their playoff loss and before the conference championship games, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report added the Lions to his “1 Sentence To Describe Every Eliminated NFL Team” piece.

“The Lions have too much talent not to bounce back in 2025, but the conclusion to 2024 has to leave you wondering if this franchise can actually make a Super Bowl run with Jared Goff leading the offense.”

Of all the questions the Lions have or may have moving forward, that might be the biggest. Can they get to and/or win a Super Bowl with Goff as the quarterback? The reflex answer is ‘yes’, and no one associated with the team will say otherwise publicly. But to completely dismiss any doubt about it is to have Honolulu Blue-shaded glasses on, and ignore the uncomfortable fear the ultimate answer will be ‘no.’

This article first appeared on Side Lion Report and was syndicated with permission.