Detroit Lions making official bid to host 2020, 2021 NFL Drafts

On Tuesday morning, Detroit Lions president Rod Wood joined local radio station WJR 760 to discuss all things Lions football.

One interesting topic that came up was the potential for Detroit to host future NFL Drafts and Super Bowls. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard Wood talk about this topic. Back in March, Wood told reporters at the owners meetings that he planned to pitch the NFL the idea of Ford Field hosting a Super Bowl and the FOX Theater hosting the NFL Draft.

Now it seems plans have progressed significantly. “We’ve actually submitted renderings of what the draft may look like if we’re hosting it in Detroit,” Wood said. “I know some other cities have done the same thing, and we’re going to hear back from the NFL soon on that.”

Listen to the entire interview below:

Wood said his proposals for the draft are for the 2020 and 2021 drafts. Recently, the NFL has moved the draft from its typical location in New York to a couple stints in Chicago. This year, the draft was held in Philadelphia, which resulted in record-breaking attendance.

For the Super Bowl, it seems things aren’t quite as far along. The NFL already has decided the venue for Super Bowls through 2021, but that hasn’t stopped Wood from starting the pitching process.

“We’ve expressed interest in the Super Bowls that will be beginning in 2023 and for the few years after that,” Wood said. “At this point we’re just waiting to hear back from the NFL on how our expression of interest was received.”

Ford Field recently received $100 million in renovations, something that Wood has been extremely proud of and is excited to show NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who will be in town Tuesday for the Lions’ fan forum meeting. “I’m anxious to show the commissioner when he arrives,” Wood said.

If you aren’t one of the few lucky fans to be in attendance for Tuesday night’s fan forum, the Lions will be live streaming the event at 5:30 p.m. ET.