Lions Officially Name Barry Sanders Honorary Captain for NFC Championship vs. 49ers

Detroit's past, present and future will collide Sunday in the Bay Area.

Ahead of their biggest game in almost seven decades, the Detroit Lions will lean on their best player of the last seven decades.

The Lions officially named Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders their honorary captain for the NFC championship against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, the team announced Saturday afternoon.

.@BarrySanders will serve as honorary captain for tomorrow's game! 🐐 pic.twitter.com/5gJdusDr2j

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 27, 2024

Sanders, 55, is widely considered one of the greatest running backs in NFL history.

Selected with the No. 3 pick by Detroit in the 1989 draft, Sanders played for the team from 1989 to '98. He ended his 10-year career with 15,269 rushing yards and 99 rushing touchdowns in 153 games.

Despite his heroics, the Lions underachieved throughout his tenure. Sanders's teams lost in the NFC wild-card round four times. In his lone trip to the NFC championship in 1992, Detroit was blown out 41–10 by Washington.

The Lions have not played in a NFL championship game since winning it 1957, the longest drought in the league.