Not on the defensive line. Not in the secondary. We are talking about Junior Roary, the newer addition to Detroit’s mascot operation who apparently showed up at Ford Field on Sunday determined to establish dominance over New Orleans Saints fans.
A social media post shared by Pride of Detroit’s Jeremy Reisman captured the evidence. With Saints fans leaning over the railing, Junior Roary appears to engage them from the field before delivering the kind of mascot trash talk that probably was not covered during orientation.
Reisman summed it up nicely:
“This new Lions mascot is savage.”
Detroit officially introduced Junior Roary as a new member of the Pride for the 2025-26 season, joining longtime mascot Roary. The Lions’ own site describes Roary as a “fun-loving feline.”
Junior apparently skipped the “fun-loving” section of the employee handbook.
Junior Roary Apparently Took the Saints Game Personally
To be fair, Sunday was stressful.
The Lions blew a 21-point advantage, watched New Orleans force overtime, then survived 31-30 when the Saints failed on a game-winning two-point attempt.
Apparently, Junior Roary did not forget any of it.
The images show a group of Saints fans interacting with the Lions mascot near the field. The exchange appears friendly enough from their side.
Junior Roary?
He looks like someone who just discovered divisional rivalries despite New Orleans not actually being in Detroit’s division.
The Lions themselves describe Junior Roary as part of their current entertainment lineup, right alongside the original Roary, cheerleaders and Honolulu Boom drumline.
Nobody mentioned psychological warfare.
Lions May Have Found Their New Enforcer
There is something especially funny about this coming after Jared Goff spent Sunday reminding everyone that NFL wins do not need style points.
Goff basically told anyone unhappy with Detroit’s ugly victory that the Lions would happily take the win however it arrived. We covered Goff’s message after Detroit escaped Week 1.
Junior Roary apparently interpreted that message differently.
Goff: Get the win and move on.
Junior Roary: Get the win and make sure Section 100 knows about it.
For years, Roary has handled the traditional mascot responsibilities: cheering, community events, photos with kids and general Ford Field chaos. The Lions’ official mascot page still identifies him as the club’s primary mascot and highlights Junior Roary among his newer mascot companions.
That sounds like a perfect division of labor.
Roary can handle community relations.
Junior Roary can handle visiting fans.
And if this is what we are getting after one game, somebody might want to keep him away from Packers fans.
Drafted with AI assistance, edited and fact-checked by DSN staff.
Richard Knight is a sports writer covering Detroit sports with a focus on the Detroit Lions, Tigers, Red Wings, Pistons, and Michigan athletics. He provides news, analysis, game coverage, and commentary for passionate Detroit sports fans, delivering timely updates and insights on the teams and stories that matter most across the Motor City sports landscape.
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