Pride of Detroit
A look at every Detroit Lions connection to Super Bowl 59.
Detroit Lions fans are finding themselves need a reason to watch this year’s Super Bowl. Not only is it a massive disappointment the Lions aren’t in the NFL championship game, but pretty much every NFL fan is tired of both the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. Including this one, the Eagles and Chiefs have combined for six appearances in the last seven Super Bowls.
And while most Lions fans on this website claim they won’t be watching this year, let me make one last pitch to you. There are several former Lions players and coaches who will be involved in Super Bowl 59. If you’re a fan of one of those players, perhaps that will be enough to kickstart a rooting interest.
Here’s everyone within each organization who has ties to the Lions
Drafted by the Lions in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Slay spent seven seasons with the Lions, earning three Pro Bowls, and an All-Pro honor when he led the league with eight interceptions and 26 passes defended in 2017.
He was unceremoniously traded in 2020 after clashing with disgraced head coach Matt Patricia. Detroit got just a third and fifth-round pick in return. Slay has since stayed with the Eagles for five seasons, earning three more Pro Bowl honors with Philly.
Slay has indicated he only intends on playing in the NFL for one more season, so this could be his final shot at a ring.
Gardner-Johnson played just a single season with the Lions, and he had some not-so-nice things to say about the organization this week. For many, that may be enough reason to root against the Eagles on Sunday.
After tearing his pectoral muscle in Week 2 of the 2023 season, Gardner-Johnson played in just three regular season games and three playoff games for Detroit.
In many ways, the Lions were responsible for reviving Harris’ career. After the former first-round pick fizzled out in Miami and Atlanta, the Lions gave him a shot, and he immediately produced the best season of his career—tallying 7.5 sacks in the 2021 season. But after an injury-filled 2022 and 2023, the Lions moved on.
This year Harris bounced from the Panthers to the Eagles. Philly needed some reinforcements after Brandon Graham went down. However, he’s only played 52 snaps with the Eagles—41 of which came in the regular season finale in which the team rested players. He is currently on their practice squad and not expected to play in the Super Bowl.
Remember Jordon Dizon? The Lions—under general manager Matt Millen—drafted Dizon in the second round of the 2008 draft. He would end up playing in just 28 games for Detroit (no starts) and after suffering a season ending injury in the 2010 preseason, his career was essentially over.
To Dizon’s...
