The Lions have made their first big signing of the offseason and the move will keep a player on the roster who they drafted and had become an important part of their defense..
Fans have been waiting to see which of the team's impending free agents they would try to retain and they have taken these decisions right down to the wire.
With just a few days until the legal tampering begins, the Lions have finally agreed to an extension with one of their free agents who was expected to draw some attention if he was able to test the open market.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, the Lions have agreed to a three-year extension with linebacker Derrick Barnes that is worth $25.5 million.
There was a rumor that came out of the Shrine Bowl about former Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn potentially trying to poach his old player and bring him to the New York Jets.
It's easy to see why he'd have been interested in his former player.
The Lions drafted Barnes in the fourth round back in 2021 and it's a decision that has paid off for them.
Barnes made his presence felt from the start, racking up 114 total tackles as a rotational player over his first two seasons.
Then he took on a larger role in his third year. He became a starter in 2023 and was a part of 81 total tackles with five tackles for a loss in his first season in the new role.
He was expected to start again in 2024, but was injured just three games into the season and missed the rest of the year.
Now he'll get a chance to slide right back into his starting role for the 2025 and the Lions have their linebackers slots all set without having to navigate free agency and did so at a pretty reasonable cost.
