Detroit Lions OT Penei Sewell: I want the Lombardi Trophy 'now'
Last season, Penei Sewell and the Detroit Lions fell just short of making the Super Bowl.
Now, the star offensive tackle has one goal in mind.
"We need it all. I had a conversation with [Amon-Ra St. Brown] after we found out that we were getting the contracts and going to sign, that's our goal is to host that trophy at the end of the day and to just do that," Sewell said Monday, according to the Detroit Free Press. "Just to win, bro. There's nothing else to it. All those individual accolades don't mean nothing. I want the big boy and I want it now."
The Lions are coming off a 12-5 season that saw them win the NFC North for the first time in franchise history and then win two home playoff games before losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.
Detroit blew a 17-point halftime lead to San Francisco in the aforementioned game. Lions quarterback Jared Goff recently expressed that the crushing loss gave them "a ton of fire."
Sewell, a one-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler, has missed just one game over his three-year NFL career, while recently signing a four-year, $112 million extension with the Lions. Meanwhile, Detroit also inked St. Brown to a four-year, $120 million extension.
Sewell was part of an electric Detroit offense that averaged 258.9 passing yards (second in the NFL), 135.9 rushing yards (fifth), 394.8 total yards (third) and 27.1 points (fifth) per game in the regular season.
The Lions made it a point to improve their defense this offseason after allowing 336.1 yards per game in 2023. The team added former Bengals DT DJ Reader and former Saints DE Marcus Davenport up front, while also trading for former Buccaneers CB Carlton Davis III. The Lions then traded up in last week's NFL Draft to select Alabama standout DB Terrion Arnold in the first round with the No. 24 overall pick, and then selected Missouri DB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in the second round (No. 61 overall).
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