National Football League

Lions season tickets sold out for first time in 21-year history at Ford Field

Updated Aug. 5, 2023 7:51 p.m. ET

The Detroit Lions are a team on the rise, and their fan base is fully bought in.

Need proof? Look no further than the Lions' season tickets, which have sold out for the first time in their 21-year history playing at Ford Field.

FOX Sports' Craig Carton reacted to the surprising development and opined that head coach Dan Campbell is the reason for the positivity in Detroit on a recent edition of "The Carton Show."

"They [the Lions] have been playing at Ford Field since 2002, so the better part of a quarter of a century, and there has never been a demand for Lions tickets in that time frame," Carton said. "Now, they are sold out for every game this year, and there's a waiting list to get in. That's cause of that guy right there (Campbell). … It's because they believe that Campbell's got the right thing going. They got Jared Goff, of course, and they damn near made the playoffs last year."

As for the pressure that could potentially come with said excitement, Campbell recently offered the perspective that he doesn't feel the outside pressure and is fully motivated for the challenge ahead.

"I don't feel weight," Campbell said. "I feel wind underneath my freakin' wings. That's what I feel. Truthfully."

The Lions are entering their third year with Campbell as their head coach. They went 3-13-1 with six one-score losses and one tie in his first season (2021), which was followed by a 9-8 campaign that culminated with them eliminating the rival Green Bay Packers from playoff contention in Week 18.

Goff is coming off a comeback campaign in what was his second season with the Lions. He totaled 4,438 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 99.3 passer rating, completing 65.1% of his passes. Then-second-year wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown hauled in 106 receptions for 1,161 yards and six touchdowns.

Moreover, the Lions boasted one of the best offenses in the NFL last season, averaging 380.0 total yards (fourth in the NFL) and 26.6 points (fifth) per game.

The Lions signed former Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery and selected Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the No. 12 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to replace the outgoing D'Andre Swift — who was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles — and Jamaal Williams — who signed with the New Orleans Saints. They also selected Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta with the No. 34 pick.

On the other side of the ball, Detroit has second-year defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and safety Kerby Joseph, who each made noise in their respective rookie seasons, and budding linebacker Alex Anzalone. The Lions added to their defense in the offseason, signing former Eagles defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson and selecting Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell with the No. 18 pick and Alabama defensive back Brian Branch with the No. 45 pick.

Detroit begins the 2023 campaign on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 7, the opening game of the NFL season. Its home opener comes on Sept. 17 against the Seattle Seahawks (1 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

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