Detroit Lions mailbag: Obscene ticket price hike, how long will contending window stay open

Ticket prices are soaring, the Detroit Lions are back to playing good football and the playoffs will be here before we know it, so I figured I'd squeeze in one more mailbag before the holidays.

Let's get to your questions.

I think a lot of the fanbase acts like this Lions team is the peak of Brad and Dan’s plan. I feel like their vision is bigger and still another year or two out. Legitimately, what’s the “window” for the Lions now? — @_RonHaskell

I haven't got that sense myself, that many people feel like this is an all-or-nothing year. But I do think smart football people know that windows open and close fast in the NFL and teams have to do everything they can to maximize their windows of opportunity.

Ron is right. The Lions didn't start this rebuild with an eye on peaking in 2023. They intend to build a long-term sustainable winner, and they look like they're on track. They have promising, young talent at key positions, a well-maintained salary cap and the pieces in place at the ownership, coach and general manager levels to continue their success.

That being said, there are some obstacles to navigate for the Lions to maintain (or improve upon) their spot in the NFL pecking order. The Lions, in all likelihood, will give Jared Goff a sizable contract extension this offseason that could hinder their future spending elsewhere. Goff, in all likelihood, will have to prove himself with a new offensive play caller next season. The schedule is about to become more difficult. They won't have the benefit of a top-10 pick going forward. And at least one of their division foes (the Chicago Bears) has a chance to draft a potential difference maker at quarterback.

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There's no doubt the Lions will enter next season as one of the Super Bowl favorites, but I wouldn't project much beyond that. I'm not predicting any sort of fall off, but the Los Angeles Rams (due to roster construction) and Cincinnati Bengals (injury) were in the Super Bowl two years ago and are fighting for their playoff lives now.

Enjoy this run for however long it lasts, cause when it ends it could be abrupt.

With 10 wins and 3 games to play, is this the best Lions team you have covered since you became the beat writer? Give us some perspective, Dave. — @GaryG_OU

Gary, yes, I do think this is the best Lions team I've covered in my 15 seasons on the beat between the Free Press and our old paper, the Oakland Press. The record shows it — the Lions have a chance to win 13 regular season games for the first time in franchise history — and so does the play on the field, though it's probably not the runaway some people think.

The 2014 Lions were a really good team that went 11-5 and lost that disputed wild-card game to the Dallas Cowboys. That team had a dominant defense led by Ndamukong Suh, but I give this one the edge because of its more potent offense, better coaching staff and legitimacy of opportunity.

The 2014 Lions were good, but they averaged 20.1 ppg and didn't feel like they had the firepower to beat teams like the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers (though they obviously split with Green Bay that year). This year's team has lots of defensive question marks and more peers.

The San Francisco 49ers are the only NFC team I see as clearly superior, so the Lions should have a manageable playoff road. No matter what happens in the postseason, to tie this question into Ron's above, this is easily the best I've felt about the Lions' long-term prospects in my time on the beat. In 2014, the specter of Suh hung overhead. When they made the playoffs in 2011, the Lions were young but had one of the best teams in football in their division. And no one had much faith in the staying power of 2016.

What should the Lions do with Jared Goff and the QB position this offseason? Should they give him an extension or let it play out? — @jamara23732

Let me start by repeating what I've said before: I think the Lions will give Goff a contract extension this offseason that makes him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL. As Brad Holmes has said, it's easier to get worse than better at quarterback, and I don't imagine the Lions (or many other teams) would have the appetite to roll the dice on the most important position in football and risk gumming up their chances of long-term success.

Whether the Lions "should" give Goff an extension is more nuanced, and I'm guessing the answer for a lot of people will be swayed by how the Lions fare in the playoffs. If Goff and the Lions lose to, say, Matthew Stafford and the Rams in the first round of the playoffs, that's a whole different energy than losing to the 49ers in the NFC championship game.

The reality is, Goff has one more season on a contract that needs to be adjusted to reflect the current market value. Not doing that in 2024 risks alienating Goff and the team, and that's riskier business than trying to construct a roster with his flaws in mind the next few years.

I don't know if Goff can win a Super Bowl, but I'd bet the Lions are going to spend the next few years trying to find out.

Sent a note to my ticket rep. Regarding the large increase and how it’s communicated. Got a boilerplate answer of course. Basically they’re doing it because they can. Do you think this was the proper way to communicate the increase. — @paulnsydney

I've heard from a lot of people upset about the substantial ticket price increases the Lions sent out this week. The team said the average increase was 30%, but one season ticket holder sent me his invoice for an increase of more than 145%.

That's insane, and it's bad business to jam longtime season ticket holders up for that kind of money at the holidays.

More: Breaking down the Detroit Lions' potential playoff matchups

The Lions held ticket prices in check during their recent lean years and even lowered prices on a handful of seats around the pandemic. This is a catching up of sorts. Demand has increased substantially — from a business standpoint, why should they let resellers take all the profit when they can charge more themselves? — there's a waitlist of more than 9,000 seats and they're coming for your money.

There's some pretty smart business people in the organization, and they wouldn't be doing this if they didn't think there were enough people willing to pay these prices. I have a hard time coughing up money to take my kids to various other sporting events and concerts, but I find myself doing it on occasion as a dad. The only way to take a stand is by saying no and spending your money elsewhere, but that's easier said than done, too.

Mailbag question — Sam Laporta or Jahmyr Gibbs for offensive rookie of the year a good possibility? Or is it CJ Stroud’s to lose? — @TroyFrankDET

A. I have a vote for all the Associated Press end-of-season awards this year, and I can tell you, as well as LaPorta and Gibbs have played for the Lions this year, this award is going to be a runaway for Stroud.

The Texans have gone from awful to 8-6 in less than a year's time and Stroud's play is the biggest reason why. He has 20 touchdown passes and five interceptions in 13 games and he's the biggest reason the Texans are in contention for a division title.

Gibbs, LaPorta and Rams receiver Puka Nacua are probably next in line in some order, but I'd be surprised if any received a first-place vote.

Hey Dave, been following your work for over a decade! Any thoughts on ever writing a book? — @FriedrichsJk

Jeremy, I appreciate you following along all these years. It's been some ride.

I've definitely thought about writing books, not all of them Lions related. There's a couple people out there reading this I may have even had discussions with about the subject. The problem is time. Like a lot of people, I never seem to have enough of it.

So, if you know a good book agent out there who's willing to give me a nice advance, tell them to give me a call. Otherwise, it'll probably have to wait a few years till my kids' schedules quiet down.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions mailbag: How long will window to contend stay open?