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Lions playoff picture: Will they bench starters vs. the 49ers on Monday?

Dec 22, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell during the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images ORG XMIT: IMAGN-881101 ORIG FILE ID: 20241222_jhp_bd7_0220.JPG
Dec 22, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell during the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images ORG XMIT: IMAGN-881101 ORIG FILE ID: 20241222_jhp_bd7_0220.JPG

So, it's come to this: no matter what the Detroit Lions do on Monday night in Week 17 against the San Francisco 49ers, they'll be playing for the NFC North title against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night later this week, per the NFL schedule for Week 18. That also means the winner gets the No. 1 seed and an all-important bye week.

So let's talk about Monday's game for a moment: will the Lions bench their starters at some point during the game?

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It really does make sense for this team that's so banged up. Why risk, say, Jahmyr Gibbs when David Montgomery is out for the season?

Dan Campbell has made it clear the Lions aren't benching anyone. But he should really think about it if Detroit is up on the Niners at some point.

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This article originally appeared on For The Win: Lions playoff picture: Will they bench starters vs. the 49ers on Monday?