Alex Anzalone stokes contract squabble fire with new social media activity

Detroit Lions rookies reported to training camp earlier this week, with veterans to follow in-full on Saturday. This is also the time across the league when any ongoing contract situations come to a head, since players who are under contract can be fined if they are absent.

While another big contract extension is looming for the Lions, it's been possible to overlook linebacker Alex Anzalone's situation. His absence from voluntary offseason work was nothing new, and not a concern on its own, but entering the final year of his contract there was an added layer to it.

The Lions foregoing mandatory minicamp, due to playing in the Hall of Fame Game, set aside the idea Anzalone would have also been absent from that and pushed speculation toward if he'd report on-time for training camp.

That time is of course here now. Anzalone's offseason social media activity up to this point has expressed a desire and motivation for a contract extension, along with some potential dissatisfaction that it's not done. There have been no reports about contract talks, so it's possible there haven't really been any yet.

Alex Anzalone stokes contract squabble fire with new social media activity

There is no denying how important Anzalone has been to the Lions defense, with specific data to back it up from a stretch of games he missed last season. But he is approaching 31 years old, and off-the ball linebackers have a hard time getting paid like other positions do. A looming changing of the guard to Jack Campbell as the leader and "green dot" guy for the defense could be a factor for the Lions in terms of desire to extend Anzalone.

On Friday morning Al Karsten of Pride of Detroit tweeted out the Lions' leaders in "splash plays"
from last season (sacks, quarterback hits, tackles for loss, interceptions, forced fumbles). Anzalone came in third with 17 such plays, and he had this reaction to the list.

Karsten followed with the top-10 linebackers in "splash plays" league-wide over the last three seasons. Anzalone is 10th with 63, one behind Fred Warner, who's widely-regarded as the best off-ball linebacker in the league. Anzalone has also played eight fewer games than Warner over the last three seasons.

Karsten added how Anzalone's $6.1 million average annual salary (AAV) is the lowest among that top-10. Which prompted a simple re-tweet from the Lions' linebacker, as if to say "see, I deserve to get paid."

There's no doubt Anzalone is unhappy with his contract situation, whatever specifically is stuck in his craw right now (the Lions won't have serious talks with his agent? A low-ball offer is on the table?). The question is if he's unhappy enough to miss days of training camp, and thus willing to be fined. That answer is coming soon.