A core pillar of the Detroit Lions' success under general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell has been acquiring and keeping players who "fit." And when the two leaders of the football operation in Detroit talk "fit", they mean more than just someone's talent. Talent is an inherent part of the equation, but does someone have the intangible fit?
A run of contract extensions during the 2024 calendar year (Jared Goff, Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Alim McNeill, David Montgomery) is set to continue as other key players get toward time for a new contract.
The big contract on the docket for the Lions this offseason is defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, with his progress from the broken leg that shortened his 2024 campaign a tentacle of those negotiations. It's a matter of time before Hutchinson is made one of the highest-paid edge rushers in the NFL.
Holmes has deferred to the cost of contract extensions as a reason for not making any notable outside additions. That feels short-sighted in some ways, firmly in a Super Bowl window despite Holmes' dismissal of the idea of being in such a window, and there will also be a point where the Lions can't keep everyone they'd like to.
Looking primarily at those who are currently entering the final year of their contract, these five Lions players will be looking to make their case for a payday this season.
5 Detroit Lions who are playing for a contract in 2025
5. DE Marcus Davenport
The Lions apparently saw enough in two games last season, and he did play well in those two games, to take another flier on Davenport this offseason. The coaching staff is also trying very hard to talk themselves into believing the former first-round pick is a viable running mate for Hutchinson, with defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard citing "health and availability" as his only two obstacles.
Health and availability have been Davenport's primary obstacles throughout his career, and they're the only obstacles that matter. Last season's arm injury was a fluke thing, and the result of a dirty play by a Cardinals' offensive lineman, but he also only played four games for the Minnesota Vikings due to an ankle injury in 2024 (amid questions about how hard he was working to get back on the field). He was healthy in 2022, his final season with the New Orleans Saints, and he had a 0.5-sack more than you and I did over 15 games.
It's not a stretch to say Davenport's career is on the line this season. If he again can't stay on the field, the mulligan the Lions gave him won't be repeated and his list of suitors next March won't be long--if said list even exists.
4. CB Amik Robertson
Robertson proved to be a nice find by the Lions in 2024 free agency, starting out in the nickel corner role (89.7 PFF run defense grade) before moving outside tp great effect when Carlton Davis went down (see Week 18 against Justin Jefferson).
A broken arm early in the playoff loss to the Washington Commanders appears to be behind Robertson, so that's not a factor if negotiations are going on as he enters the final year of his contract. There is a possibility (however unlikely) that competition for roles in the Lions' secondary pushes him toward the trade block before Week 1, but the lesson of last year's injuries on the defensive side of the ball means depth will not easily parted with.
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The idea of an in-season agreement between Robertson and the Lions is not out of the question. But he will definitely be motivated to prove himself worthy of a lucrative new contract, no matter when he gets it or who ultimately gives it to him.
3. DT Levi Onwuzurike
Onwuzurike was finally healthy last season, and it showed as PFF graded him as a top-30 defensive tackle in the league with a 12.5 percent pass rush win rate that was top-15 at the position. The 2021 second-round pick also showed some versatility, kicking out to defensive end (168 snaps, according to PFF) to help fill the void left by a litany of injuries there.
It seemed Onwuzurike had a chance to cash in on the open market this offseason, but in clear deference to his history of back issues (spinal fusion surgery in 2022) he ended up coming back to the Lions on a one-year, $4 million deal.
Onwuzurike's career has likely been shortened some by that major back surgery. If he can prove last year was not a fluke, he would be lined up for a significant bite at the financial apple with a multi-year deal next March.
2. LB Alex Anzalone
Anzalone's absence from voluntary offseason work is not a new thing, but this year it has an added layer that can't be ignored. He is entering the final year of his contract, and a recent social media post suggests he'd like to get something done sooner rather than later.
With the Lions going outside the norm to cancel mandatory minicamp this year, rooted in playing in the Hall of Fame Game, the next time Anzalone has to be in Allen Park without being subject to fines for missing days is the start of training camp in July.
Anzalone has become a core piece of the Lions' defense, with back-to-back 120-plus tackle seasons in 2022 and 2023 before missing seven games last season. His six-game absence due a fractured forearm late last season was arguably the most critical injury absence the Lions had on defense, with numbers to back it up.
Earlier this offseason, Anzalone responded to a tweet about how many man coverage snaps he played last season by sub-tweeting "No other LB asked to do what I do." He's also deployed heavily as a blitzer, and it goes without saying he's a key part of a generally stout Lions' run defense.
On the flipside, Anzalone will turn 31 in September and the Lions may draw a line for how far they'll go with another multi-year deal. So barring a deal being done before training camp, he may be left to prove himself to the other 31 teams in a full-on contract year.
1. WR Jameson Williams
Even as he confirmed a fifth-year option for 2026 would be picked up back in March, Holmes acknowledged the situation the Lions could be in with a contract extension for Williams.
"In terms of extensions, again, there's a lot of extensions that are hopefully coming, but it's just one that you don't know what's gonna happen from a financial standpoint," Holmes said. "Because a wide receiver is very expensive. Look, these are good problems to have."
The Lions are already paying Amon-Ra St. Brown an increasingly reasonable-looking $30.002 million per year on the extension they gave him in April of 2024. It's not unviable to give two wide receivers big multi-year deals (see the Bengals with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins this offseason), but it will come at an expense to the rest of the roster and Holmes is naturally keenly aware of that.
Williams' breakout third season in 2024 was not without a few hiccups on and off the field, with multiple fines for touchdown celebrations, a performance-enhancing substance suspension and involvement in a gun incident for which he was not charged. Refining those remaining rough edges is his next step, as he tries to prove himself worthy of a lucrative multi-year deal.
The Lions have, barring something unforeseen over the rest of this offseason, pushed their ultimate decision on a contract extension for Williams to next offseason. Time will tell if he is in Detroit beyond 2026, but he should not lack for motivation to have a big season in 2025.
