Detroit Lions · Franchise era 5 of 7
From Barry's exit to 0–16: the Detroit Lions story
Franchise era
1999—2008
From Barry's exit to 0–16
Detroit Lions
The story in one sentence
Sanders retired abruptly and years of poor roster construction culminated in the league's first 0–16 season.
01
A painful rebuild reaches rock bottom
02
Jason Hanson, Roy Williams and Shaun Rogers gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for stafford and calvin.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1999
What came before
Sanders turned every carry into possibility and led the 1991 Lions to the NFC Championship Game, the franchise's lone playoff win of the era.
2000-01-08
Wild Card: Detroit Lions vs Washington Commanders
After 2008
What came next
Stafford and Johnson powered explosive offenses and three playoff trips, but Detroit could not turn their peak into a postseason victory.
The core