Detroit Lions’ Decades-Long Curse: Will 2024 Be the Year It Ends?

DETROIT, Mich. — The Detroit Lions, one of the NFL‘s oldest franchises, have not won a championship since 1957, a drought some fans attribute to the infamous “Curse of Bobby Layne.” The curse, rooted in a 1958 trade, has haunted the team for over six decades, but 2024 could be the year the Lions finally break free.

The Lions, originally founded as the Portsmouth Spartans in 1930, moved to Detroit in 1934 and won their last NFL championship three years before the first Super Bowl was played. Since then, the team has become one of 12 NFL franchises never to win a Super Bowl. The so-called curse began when star quarterback Bobby Layne was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1958. Legend has it that Layne, angered by the trade, declared the Lions wouldn’t win another title for 50 years.

“If that curse was real, it would have expired by now,” said longtime Lions fan and Michigan native Jeff Daniels, the actor and vocal supporter of the team. “But here we are, still waiting.”

Despite the curse’s expiration in 2008, the Lions have yet to claim a championship. High-profile figures like Peyton Manning and Daniels have publicly tried to dispel the curse, but the team’s fortunes have remained unchanged. This season, however, the Lions are showing promise, sparking hope among fans that the curse may finally be lifted.

“We’ve been through a lot as fans,” said Daniels. “But this year feels different. The team is playing with heart, and the city is behind them like never before.”

As the Lions prepare for the 2024 season, the question remains: Will this be the year the curse is broken, or will the legend of Bobby Layne continue to loom over Detroit?