The Athletic Survey Pegs Lions Fans as Most Optimistic in the NFL

Not that anyone is particularly surprised, but Detroit Lions fans are as excited about their team as they've ever been.

Sure, the Barry Sanders years and Stafford to Megatron years were always special and gave a glimmer of hope - but 2024 is different. It's an unparalleled vibe in the Motor City. The Lions, yes those Detroit Lions, are legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

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Following a season in which the Lions won its first two playoff games inside Ford Field, the front office locked up star players Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown and quarterback Jared Goff while improving the defense via the draft. There is no room for blind optimism. Dan Campbell has shifted the culture in Detroit and the roster is one of the strongest in the league.

Many teams sit where the Lions do though, and have for many years. The Baltimore Ravens, the Dallas Cowboys, the Cincinnati Bengals - these teams have been on the cusp of greatness for years. But none carry a fanbase as optimistic as Lions fans heading into the 2024 season.

The Athletic conducted a survey during the preseason to determine which fanbases were the most optimistic heading into the regular season. At 98.8% optimism among the fanbase, Lions fans feel confident the boys in Honolulu Blue will meet expectations in 2024.

Not even the back-to-back defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs have more optimism - they were just 98.7%, good for second place.

There was some optimism among Lions fans heading into the 2023 season, but many fans held back for fear of being let down once again. But then the Lions beat the Chiefs in the first game of the season and put together one of the most successful seasons in franchise history.

Are Lions fans overly optimistic in 2024? Is a Super Bowl or bust mentality justified? Those are questions each fan should ask themselves. At the end of the day, the Lions are and will be one of the best teams in the league, and that is, without a doubt, more enjoyable than the alternative.