Detroit Lions players meet with the media | September 2, 2025

Detroit Lions players meet with the media | September 2, 2025

obviously up in Green Bay this week. What was your reaction to Michael Parson’s trade and yeah, you got to see him applies to you. Yeah, you know, there was a some rumors going on there, so I guess I wasn’t really surprised when it happened, but yeah, he’s a great player and adds to an already competitive division and um certainly uh is is a tough player to face, but uh we’ll see. We’ll see. I know he had the back injury, so we’ll see if he ends up uh being out there. In your 10th year now, just the way this offense has has developed with with John, too, do do you feel like there’s a little bit more on your plate, and do you welcome that part of it? Do do you love that part of it? I do. I do. I really do. I I really try to um see how much I can handle every week and uh you know I think it’s kind of I try to you know ask for more, ask for more, ask for more and it’s kind of their job to like governor that and um ultimately we’ve done a good job over the past handful of years and doing that and then this year it’s it’s kind of ramped up a little bit which is great and I’ I’ve owned it. I’m in my 10th year and uh I feel like there’s certain things I can help with and um Johnny’s been awesome uh listening and as well as you know giving me feedback when he disagrees with something that I think and I think that’s important. Do you think you’re in a great spot in that regard heading into week one? I do. Yeah, I sure sure do. I I think you every year is different and you don’t know like kind of who your team’s going to be, what your offense is going to be really yet until I don’t know week three, week four, you know, you hopefully have a pretty good idea. But to be honest, you know, no different than last year when we played the Rams week one. kind of we’re still trying to figure out what we want it to be and um this year will be somewhat of the same. You know, hopefully we come out of the gates firing all cylinders, but uh in reality that’s that’s kind of hard to do right away. But yeah, we want to we want to catch up to speed as quickly as we can. In a camp that lasted seemingly forever. I mean, you were one of the first two teams to start this thing. How much have you been anticipating this week? And how are you able to pace yourself throughout these last five, six weeks? Yeah, I’ve been looking forward to it. You know, certainly in a division game on the road, I’ve always said these ones feel like they count for two wins. And uh whenever you’re able to go out into somebody else’s place and get a W, it’s it’s it’s important and that’s what we want to try to do. And um these guys are a good team. We’re a good team and it’ll be fun. Thoughts on playing at Lambo? Coach said he loved to play there. Yeah, love playing at Lambo. It’s a place we’ve I know I’ve played there every year now for five years, I guess. You know, going on my fifth year and yeah, love playing there. It’s a it’s it’s such a historic venue and um being able to kind of soak in that history a little bit and be there and um enjoy it. You you look at Las Vegas I think after the Micah Parsons trade they bumped Green Bay as as favorites. You guys second favorites in the NFC. I’m just curious what you what you think of something like that. Been wrong before, right? You know, who knows? We’ll see. I I think uh yeah, they’re a good team. They added a good player and um we’re all zero and zero, so we will see. You guys are bringing most of the same players back and it seems like continuity is a big deal for you guys while all these other teams are making big moves and making changes. How important do you think the continuity is? I do think it’s important. I do. I I really do. I think, you know, it speaks to kind of, you know, who we’ve been the last handful of years that we have the same players coming back and um that, you know, upstairs they’ve rewarded those those players and and kept them in house. And it’s it’s important. It’s important for the locker room and to have the same guys coming back to have the same leaders in the room. We just had captains. It’s all the same guys and I think that’s important. Um they’ve done a good job of of keeping our roster together. Yeah. How’s how’s Graham handled the the center spot? Great. It’s been great. Is it just is it almost the same like obviously skill-wise, you know, but I mean just the preparation there’s there’s a lot of similarities and there’s a lot of differences from Frank. Obviously, Frank is such a great player and it’s hard to um replace him in any capacity, but Graham is a great player in his own right as well and has done a hell of a job uh stepping into that role and and even last year at times when he needed to step in there and um he’s been great, man. He really has. He’s taken a lot of the responsibility on his shoulders and um I thought today was great by him and um he’s he’s been a lot of fun to work with. From a statistical standpoint, you obviously had a career year. I mean, um, how much more production do you think can be extracted, you know, from your arm, I guess, going forward? Yeah, I don’t know. Statistically, I don’t really concern myself. I don’t really care. Um, just trying to win. And, uh, the stats come, stats come, great. But, yeah, it’s I don’t know how to answer that without just saying all I care about is winning, really. Jared, how has your receiving core evolved going into this season? How has the receiving core evolved? Um, good question. I think I mean Jammo is obviously the one that everyone is talking about. This the big step he’s taken forward has been fun to watch. St. Brown continue to be as consistent as ever and the all procaliber player he’s been. I thought Lee’s been great. Um and then the young guy, you know, Tesla stepping in there and doing a good job and becoming a fixture on our offense. Obviously losing Tim is tough and um it’s not something ever you want to see as a as a quarterback, you know, especially a guy you like and has been reliable, but I thought Isaac’s done a good job stepping in there and uh being a good player. Overall, how did you feel about your training camp and where do you feel like you’re at now heading into week one? Yep. It’s great. Yeah, I feel great. I’m glad it’s over. I’m glad we’re playing football now. Talk about last year teach you about, you know, the importance of of the postseason really being like the only thing that matters or maybe confirm and how do you sort of keep that in perspective with knowing you have to take care of business in the regular season, but ultimately the only thing that you guys will be judged on is, you know, Super Bowl. I don’t I’m not trying to be What are you asking exactly? Well, I I don’t know. Did how much did last year sort of confirm that point? Did you learn anything from that where like you know 15 wins ultimately didn’t matter? Yeah. No, I know what you mean. I I think yeah certainly like you’re you’re working to get into the playoffs. I think that’s why these games are so important and and they are equally as important as every other week, you know, not week one versus week 17. They all count the same and I’ve always said that. Um and to your point, yeah, once we get to the playoffs, we’ll have that conversation of how important those games are. Um but right now you’re just trying to win the first one and then start one and0 and and move on from there. Which which role do you enjoy? You talked about like the odds dropping for you guys to win a division trade. What what which what you do on board? I mean last year it seemed like everybody was lying Super Bowl. This year it’s you know they still see you guys there but do you enjoy that role a little? I don’t know. Yeah, it’s it is quite I I mean it’s confusing because I don’t even know where where do we stand externally? I don’t know what people you know and I don’t really care but like are we supposed to be good? Are we supposed to be bad? we you know all these different story lines and so we don’t you can’t ride that roller coaster and we don’t and um we shall see time will tell and uh going to try to win this first one and move on from there what made Ben so great but yeah sorry I like being on this side of it more if when they doubt us if they answer your question made you and work so great was you kind of saw the game through each other’s eyes that communication was at such a high level we know schematics aren’t changing all that much this year how do you know when that relationship is is right or at a similar level with with Sure. It takes time. I mean, I I feel great with him though right now. It’s it’s, you know, different um because of just three years of Ben is three years of with anybody and it’s my first year with Johnny. But um he sees the game very similar to to way I do and really very similarly to the way that I was taught in LA with with Shawn being with John Rud and him being with John Ruden. Like there’s a lot of crossover there. So it does take me back a little bit to those days and some of the philosophies are similar there. So there is a lot of carryover that that helps. And and then again, I’ve said it a million times, the the fact that we were together at one point and have a relationship prior to him being my coordinator uh is is extremely important and allows us to kind of speak freely to each other. All the talk early in the week obviously has been about the Packers and Micah Parsons, but there’s going to be another pretty good edge rusher on the field on Sunday, too. Just how excited are you to to be back and maybe just show that there’s, you know, it’s more than one good pass rusher on the field? Yeah, it’s it’s great to be back. It’s uh it’s great to be back and uh it’s been a long time coming. Um but we’re here and um I’m just looking forward to this season. There have been weeks and months of questions about you, your health. You’ve assured us that the recovery ended a long time ago, but how thrilled are you just to to show it now with your play and do less talking about it all? It’s great. It’s great. I’m happy. I think uh when I play this game on Sunday, people will finally uh I think it will be in my past from uh from the media perspective and from the fan perspective, people will uh will have moved on, which will be which will be good cuz I think uh I’ve moved on a while ago. Fans have said though since you talked about the surgery and what’s inside your leg now that you have this super leg. So, it’s almost seen seemed as a boost I think from a lot of Lions fans. You’ve talked about being better. Is that part of it? Yeah, man. I’m uh I’m on my way to being fully bionic, you know. Hopefully that’s the last bionic piece that goes in me. But uh let me just uh and uh uh anyways, yeah. No, it’s I feel like um this thing is not going anywhere, you know, and I have a lot of confidence in that and I have a ton of confidence in the surgery and my rehab and where I’m at. And um you know it’s really I moved on and I know that you know this thing’s um like you said it’s fully bionic. It’s not going anywhere and um we’re ready to move on. One of the things that your head coach was saying about you just that your bend and some of your techniques are even more advanced in this what is this year three? Year four. Year four. Year four. Yeah. Do how how much more confidence do you have just as a player and having been in this league and also having been through what you did last year with the injury and rehabbing? Yeah, it’s uh the development’s been great. I feel like I’ve gotten better this camp and I hope that is uh you know that’s the standard and expectation every camp for me is is continuing to take steps up and um yeah, I mean that’s that’s really the focus every single camp. But now I get to put out on display, you know, the uh what we’ve been working for yourself evolved over the years. One more time. Has your standard for yourself evolved over the years in terms of what you expect from yourself? For sure. Yeah. I think uh you know, you come in here, you’re the first round pick. There’s it’s kind of that rookie expectation of you uh you know, you got more leeway. I I feel like when you’re a young guy trying to figure it out, blah blah blah. But now that you’re getting older, it’s um people depend on you more and you’re put in those situations where um you got to win if if if your defense is going to have success. So that’s that’s kind of the the change in the standard for yourself, you know, and that’s that’s what people expect of me. That’s what I expect of myself. And um yeah, that’s that’s kind of what it’s evolved to. Wanted to ask you more about the increasing the flexibility, right? Like you can’t do everything while you’re rehabing. There’s certain like strength that show you can’t do. So, you’ve got to find other ways to get better. How did you go about that process of finding things you could do to still get better when there was things you just couldn’t do that were necessary to your position? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you talk about flexibility and bend and I feel like I’ I’ve always had it, but you you you find uh as your game evolves, you figure out ways to utilize it more, you know, and so that’s kind of uh maybe what Dan was alluding to, but um yeah, that’s kind of uh where it’s come from, I think. Taking ownership of the division, winning the games that you guys did on the road last year, how much fun is it going to play spoiler inside a division’s building? It’s great. I mean, you know, we play feel like every game we play for at this season is going to be a big one. So, uh, week one always seems to get a little bit more hype than all the other games. And I think from a a defense and from a team, we’re just trying to, um, you know, treat this like it’s any other game. And, but obviously with it being Green Bay on the road, it’s got a little bit more excitement to it. However, I think it’s uh this season is going to be a marathon, so we’re going to stay in it the whole way. Do you like the divisional back-to-back games to start the season? Do you like getting thrown into the fire for a non How do you look at schedule? Um, yeah. I mean, do I like it? I I don’t know. I I don’t really have any control on who we play, but I know that I I actually didn’t know we played Chicago week, too. So, it’s good to know that. I’ve been taking it one game at a time. Um, but yeah, I mean it will be it’s all going to be lots of fun football. Do you have any trepidation at all? Like do you need a sack? Do you need to take a blind side? Like you need something to happen just to know that I’m fully back at all. Um, I’m probably good off a blind side hit, but maybe uh I’ve gotten my legs gotten hit a few times, so I feel like I’m I’m there. And you were I mean a lot of people thought you were having a defensive player type of the year, you know, season when you got hurt last year. What what if anything are your your goals for this year? Goals for this year, you know, I want to win as a team and I want to develop as a player and show my progression. We know there’s a business side of the game. Did you uh get really excited when the defensive end market blew up and did you peek at what Mike is getting paid per year? Yeah, it’s always exciting. It’s been a big year for Dian. You know, it’s been it’s been a big year for the market. It’s it’s gone up so exponentially. So, uh, yeah, it’s always exciting to see that market go up. How do you think that impacts your market? Yeah, you know, I’m focused on the Green Bay Packers right now. You know, I don’t, uh, not really dealing with the contract stuff and we are, uh, we’re focused on sack and Jordan Love. Does this feel like a different week one for you? You’ve been through three of them already. Obviously, the first one’s probably special, but just given what happened, the expectations with you and this team, does this feel different at all? Um, no. I feel like every week one we have is pretty We’ve had the Rams, Philly, um, KC. Yeah, it’s been it’s been pretty big ones. Yeah. Just to be clear, you got a rod and how many screws you have? Um, I don’t know. I mean, it’s it’s bionic. I know that. It’s not going anywhere. And, uh, yeah, we’re we’re good and we’re going to move past it on Sunday. So, guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy guy number 55 Derek Barnes. How how you feel about that guy as a player and as a person? A person, he’s solid. Um player, I got I’m excited to see him come Sunday. He’s he’s been out a while. I’m excited to see what he does. You got anything else? No further questions. Ask about another one of your teammates, Grant Stewart, getting voted a captain. I mean, he’s only been here a short while, but what have you seen from him that earns him that vote of confidence? I mean, I think he’s obviously one of our best special teams players. I think that um puts him in that role um automatically and his personality, his leadership style, his uh presence I think is the biggest thing that I got. You know, guys voted for him. Going to Green Bay, that was a place where Lions teams forever could not win. That’s obviously not been the story with you guys. Just the kind of confidence that you guys walk into each building with having gone undefeated in the North last season. How much have you appreciated how much you guys have changed the culture in this building in this organization? I mean, yeah, there there’s a I guess a changing of regards in that regard, but um you know, it’s a new season, new players, new team. Uh we have different guys, they have different guys, so you can’t really, you know, say like, oh, the past few years we’ve been able to do this or do that. We got to prove it each and every week. And it’s cliche, but it’s true. Coach said he actually enjoys playing. He loves it there. Do you love it playing there? Yeah, I mean, it’s cool. It’s just it’s I think he’s really saying that because it’s historic and um you know, you dream about when you’re a little kid playing at Lambeau Field. So, I think that that’s really the main point there. What does a healthy Aiden Hutchinson mean to this defense? We’ll see. We’ll see. Everyone’s been talking about it, so we’ll see in a in a few days. Ben, he’s played for now and guys know when you’re healthy, when he’s healthy. I mean, this defense seems to be tracking towards, let me rephrase this. It feels like everybody has always kind of spoken about the offense and all the talent on offense and it feels now like defense has is is has caught up. Um yeah, yeah, we we have to hold our own and um yeah, we’ve had really top five offense here for the past couple years and I think that um you know it’s time for our defense to take that step and and kind of match their level if you want to if you want to call it like that. But um yeah, we’re excited to go out there and play and you know we have to earn it. We have to earn it too. You’ve been playing this game for a while. To look back at pictures year after year and see that C on your jersey when it’s all said and done, how much pride would you take in looking back at all that? Yeah, a lot. I think that, you know, that’s one of the mo the biggest honors you can get as from your teammates. Um, so yeah, it’s it’s cool. It’s um, you know, a lot of responsibility, but at the same time, um, yeah, looking back, it’s going to be it’s going to be cool one day just to see what I accomplish in that regard. And, um, yeah. What’s your thoughts on how Calvin’s been running the show so far as defense coordinator? Uh, good. I mean, yeah, he’s he’s been doing good. He’s confident. Um, you know, he’s very smart situationally and I’m excited to see call him in a real non-preseason game and um, you know, be be the player playing those calls. How much does the defense change if if Micah Parsons was to pay? How much does the how much does it change facing those guys? You know, he’s a great player, so I mean, that’s always something that we’re going to have to look at. But um with him there and Kenny Clark on there’s a lot more emphasis on the tackles and um you know what we can what we can do for them to help them out. I mean you know I’m sure that there’s a lot more stuff going on the game plan that we haven’t even talked about that will account for that. But um I mean you always got to keep an eye out. He’s a good player. You said during the summer that you enjoy playing center. Do you feel like re-energized by maybe this summer and and getting back to to center and the the mental side of the game and all those things? Sure, you can say that. You feel like you’re enjoying work? I do. Work is always fun, man. There’s never a time when it’s not fun. But you can say that. I will I’ll take it. You can say it. What has the talk about, you know, Jared having even more ownership of the offense this year? I mean, where have you seen that, I guess, during practice? I mean, like, how’s it really manifested itself? I mean, from from your standpoint? That’s a good question. I don’t know. I feel like there’s a lot of stuff that’s fallen on him this year just in regards from like having a new offensive coordinator and him having to learn everything. Um that applies a lot more I feel like to wide receivers and quarterback stuff. So in that regard I feel like he’s probably taken a big step forward and it’s cool to see. What might seem like the most basic question, but I’m sure friends or family have asked you. How much different is your job this season than it was last season? in the most basic way. If you could start there, how much different is your job entering the season than it was a year ago? Um, well, we talked about it a little earlier, but it’s a lot more like mental stuff than um I’ve always liked that part of football. So, uh, that’s been fun. But, I mean, football is still football in my opinion. I feel like it’s not too different, but it’s been fun. What were you asking? I was just going to ask you about your relationship with Jared. Is it any different because you are now the man under center? You know, he’s a lot more demanding than I remember when I was younger, but um he’s got a lot of like I don’t know. I get a little sweaty. He always is telling me to uh change my pants and stuff, but he can be he can be a little diva. But other than that, I think that he’s I mean, he’s basically the same person that I remember last year or the year before. So, he’s a good dude and he’s great to work with. What do you guys need to have? That depends how sweaty I am. You guys some relationship, I guess. Do you guys kick things around? More of like a battery does, you know, in baseball type of thing where you guys really have to know what the other one is thinking, saying, doing all the time. He’ll ask me more questions about how I see something that um I mean, just in regards to like how I call things and uh he usually sees things the same way that I do, I feel like. So, we don’t ever really like butt heads on anything, but it’s overall I feel like Yeah. I guess that’s a good fair off. No, that’s fair. What is What are you most looking forward to this season? I mean, obviously the expectations continue to grow for this team, but you guys kind of go into this season with now everybody’s looking at Green Bay. There’s a lot of different favorites out there to win the Super Bowl. As you guys get ready for this first game, how do you see the Detroit Lions going into the season? I mean, I feel like it’s just been the same as it’s been the past couple years. We’re a good football team. We want to win games and I mean everybody knows what the ultimate goal is but in a week toeek basis all you can really do is try to win that game. So um the goal is to to win go to Lambo and win. Hey feel like entering year 10 in the NFL. Like does it feel like you’ve been doing this for 10 years now? Yes it does. It’s been it’s been fun. In some regards it’s flown by. In other regards it really hasn’t. You know, the the days are short, the years are long. Or no, the days are long, the years are short. That’s what it is. It’s like child like rearing a child, right? Sort of. Yeah, that’s what they say. No. Yeah, it is. It’s like that, too. No, I I mean, I got kids. The days are long. But yeah. What do you think of this new uh locker room? It’s nice. I mean, um it’s cool. I I always like the old lockers, but you know, it’s nice to have they have a nice little fan in here for your shoes and stuff. So, when we were sweating in camp, it was nice for them to be able to get dry. So, that’s probably my favorite part. Play next to Christian for through training camp. What have you learned about him that maybe you didn’t know about him before? How’s a player? Um, I feel like it’s I feel like I’ve already knew pretty much about him already. you know, he’s a he’s a he plays hard. He might ask a couple couple too many questions, but um I mean, if we all get on the same page, he he knows where to go. And I mean, he he goes there he plays I mean, as I said, he just plays hard. Man, that was a really bad answer. But sorry with with with Jared when the when the understanding is at such an advanced level with the offense and the personnel is similar, the continuity is there. I mean, what can that do for an offense? I mean, just having that, you know, grasp and also having the the understanding that the players around you are trustworthy and that, you know, game in and game out are going to deliver. I mean, what what does that do, I guess, from what what you’re capable of doing or what you what you can possibly do? I think it’s huge. I mean, I feel like if you can I mean, relying on Jared, you can always rely on Jared. seems like he always knows what to do and he’s always got a really good grasp of the game plan. But, um, even with all the guys around here, I feel like everybody puts a lot of that effort in and, uh, you know, nobody wants to let any anybody else down. So it’s it’s

Hear from Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, linebacker Alex Anzalone and offensive lineman Graham Glasgow as they speak with the media on September 2, 2025.

0:00 – 7:07: Jared Goff
7:08 – 13:50: Aidan Hutchinson
13:51 – 16:50: Alex Anzalone
16:51 – 22:40: Graham Glasgow

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