Competition has always been a big part of Detroit Lions training camp under head coach Dan Campbell.Now in his sixth season, Campbell has carved out a reputation as a coach for encouraging and creating competitive practices, where players compete for jobs. Training camp in 2026 will be no different, as several jobs are up for grabs.In addition to starting spots, there are also vitally important backup spots that could be up for grabs this year. The Lions have depth throughout the roster, and as a result training camp could see several changes made when the final roster emerges later in August.Here are three veteran players who could lose their respective roles by the end of training camp if their counterparts rise to the occasion.QB Teddy BridgewaterBridgewater is back in Detroit for his third stint with the organization, and has a strong reputation both with the organization and across the league. The veteran has built strong relationships in Detroit's locker room dating back to his first tenure with the team in the 2023 season.To be clear, Bridgewater losing his role as the team's backup would take a lot both from his counterpart and poor performance from him. However, there is intriguing competition in the form of undrafted free agent Luke Altmyer. The impact that Bridgewater brings to the Lions is just as important from an intangible standpoint, as his leadership helps guide young players. However, Bridgewater will need to prove he's capable of leading the offense when called upon, perhaps doing so in the preseason. Though Bridgewater has been able to carve out a solid career, he has appeared in just six total games (including one playoff game) over the past three years. In that time, he is just 8-of-15 for 62 yards. As a result, he'll need to prove he can move the ball in a pinch.Altmyer, meanwhile, is an intriguing prospect who seemed to turn some heads in offseason workouts. Granted, he has a long way to go to unseat Bridgewater, but if he minimizes turnovers in practice and demonstrates an ability to lead and make the right reads, things could certainly get interesting.TE Brock Wright Top Lions tight end Sam LaPorta was fully cleared to return from a herniated disk earlier this offseason, but that doesn't guarantee that he'll be full go right away when camp opens. As a result, Wright could see some opportunities with the first-team offense.The former undrafted free agent has made a niche for himself as the Lions' No. 2 tight end, with the team frequently utilizing him in run packages as an extra blocker. However, the Lions have added some depth at the position, and a competition could formulate.A big factor to how this could play out will be the health of new signing Tyler Conklin. The Central Michigan product went down early in offseason workouts with an undisclosed injury, and will start training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list.If Conklin's stay on PUP is a short one, he could quickly assert himself as the top option behind LaPorta because he has experience being in that role elsewhere. Even though he's coming off a down year for the Los Angeles Chargers, he has plenty of production throughout his eight-year career.Jackson Meeks, undrafted free agent Miles Kitselman and Zach Horton are all also players to watch in this competition. In particular, Meeks is a converted wide receiver with plenty of upside who played well in the preseason last year.LG Christian MahoganyCampbell said the left guard position will be open for competition, and the Lions have added veterans who will make it difficult for Mahogany to simply win his job back. After a promising rookie campaign in 2024, Mahogany had a bit of a bumpy 2025 season that was interrupted by a knee injury.Though his 2024 performance was a much smaller sample size, he took a significant step back in 2025 in every category via Pro Football Focus. His overall offensive grade dropped from 91.5 to 59.1, and both his run-blocking and pass-blocking grades dipped significantly.To earn his job back, Mahogany will be competing with several players with the most notable ones being Ben Bartch and Juice Scruggs. Both are veterans with starting experience, and Scruggs proved during offseason workouts that he's capable of playing all three interior offensive line spots.Bartch, meanwhile, missed all of offseason workouts while rehabbing an injury from last year but was not part of the initial round of players placed on PUP which could pave the way for him starting camp active.Mahogany still has upside as a young player entering his third season, but the path to starting will be challenging for him in 2026.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow