Alex Anzalone: 'Next Year, It's Us'

Lions linebacker details challenges of having season end.

Detroit Lions veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone is among the most respected leaders in the locker room. 

It was no accident that head coach Dan Campbell and the coaching staff wanted to bring the talented linebacker to Detroit back in 2021. 

In a detailed piece for The Players Tribune, Anzalone recalled the struggles of having the season end against the San Francisco 49ers. 

The 29-year-old opened with complete support of head coach Dan Campbell going for it on fourth down repeatedly in the second half. 

In fact, like many, Anzalone wondered why Campbell decided not to go for a touchdown on a fourth-down play in the second quarter, just before halftime. 

The most poignant moment was Anzalone's son asking if the team had made the Super Bowl, a few days after the team was eliminated. 

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The abrupt end of the Lions' season was difficult to deal with, even for a grizzled veteran like Anzalone.  

Anzalone dealt with fractured ribs, and still battled to lead his team to the brink of the biggest game in franchise history. 

Campbell, in an exit interview, encouraged Anzalone to watch the contest between the Chiefs and the 49ers on Sunday. 

"It’s funny…. When we had our exit meetings with Dan the other day, he actually asked the same thing. I didn’t know how to answer," wrote Anzalone. "I honestly hadn’t even thought about it yet, and it kind of made me sick thinking about going to some Super Bowl party and standing around like an idiot, trying to pretend to be happy.

"But, Dan said, 'No, you gotta watch it, man. Use every second of it as motivation. I’ll sure as hell be watching.'”

Detroit's defensive captain imagined his head coach watching the game, sitting in a dark room and counting the days until training camp. 

"I can’t help but have this image of Dan sitting in a dark room this Sunday, all by himself, gripping his coffee cup for three hours straight, staring daggers at the TV, just counting down the milliseconds until training camp starts and we can run it back," Anzalone expressed. 

Now that the page has been turned and the offseason is here, the team is ready to address the unfinished business from 2023. 

"You’re gonna have 53 dogs out there doing the exact same. You’re gonna have a whole coaching staff doing the same," Anzalone concluded. "You’re gonna have a whole city doing the same. This year, it sucks. Next year, it’s us. Believe."