Lions Derrick Barnes Vows 2026 Will Be Better After Down Season
Detroit Lions linebacker wants to prove 2025 season was a fluke, vows to improve game.
Video Transcript
Detroit Lions linebacker, Derrick Barnes calls 2025 a disappointment and a fluke season.
I'm John Macaroon, Detroit Lions on SI.
After OTA practice last week, Derrick Barnes had a chance to speak to Lions on SI, and we took advantage of some time to kind of review his 2025 season, expectations for him now as a leader, and The feelings that he has regarding the departure of Alex Anloni.
And so, for Derrick Barnes, is a player now that's been in the system for quite a few seasons, definitely understands the expectations that Calvin Shepherd has for the defense and for the linebackers unit.
And quite frankly, last year, the defense as a whole and Derrick Barnes did not live up to expectations, and he definitely now in the midst of a contract that has paid him Luke.
ly he wants to perform and do better than he did last year.
He indicated that last year just has been weighing on his mind.
He's done the extra work this year, put in the extra time to review film, self-scout, understand what his strengths and weaknesses are, and he wants to be a player that can lead now the young players on the roster with several new young linebackers on the roster.
You want Derrek Barnes, Jack Campbell, Malcolm Rodriguez, who have been in the.
System for quite a bit of time to, to step forward and to highlight what is the expectation, especially with their knowledge of Calvin Shepherd's scheme.
And so for Derrick Barnes, he's putting in the extra work.
He wants to be a versatile linebacker that gets better in coverage, that obviously has been known to be obviously having strengths at the same linebacker spot, but obviously, the entire linebackers unit had strengths and performed well last year.
But by and large, the defense gave up far too many explosive plays, and the run defense wasn't exactly where it needed to be towards the end of the season.
So for the defense as a whole, they all have a chip on their shoulder, and Derrick Barnes indicated that he felt like the start of his year was solid, but the end of the season just didn't live up to his expectation.
He called it a fluke, and he's hoping to turn it around in 2026, another year in Calvin Shepherd's defensive scheme.
