His play hasn’t fallen off yet, but an extension will take LB Alex Anzalone into his mid-30s.
It’s been a relatively quiet offseason for the Detroit Lions , whose main move in free agency was replacing free agent cornerback Carlton Davis with D.J. Reed.
Apart from that, the Lions didn’t make a move over $4 million, instead focusing on the 2025 NFL Draft and a couple of extensions.
The big piece of business done was the extension for Kerby Joseph, who signed a four-year, $86 million deal to eclipse Antoine Winfield Jr. as the highest-paid safety in the NFL. Detroit also extended linebacker Derrick Barnes on a three-year, $24 million deal, keeping another key starter for the foreseeable future.
Now, could it be time to turn to another impending free agent linebacker?
Alex Anzalone is entering the final year of a three-year, $18.3 million deal signed back in 2023. Entering his age-31 season, he’s set to have a cap hit of $7.3 million this upcoming season.
Anzalone was not present for voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) earlier this offseason, reportedly seeking a new contract, but Lions head coach Dan Campbell issued no worries about his absence.
“I think what’s great is that any player that I talk to, I have a relationship with, and there’s an open line of communication,” Campbell said a month ago. “Whatever I say to those players, I’m not going to say to you guys. I never will. There’s communication that has been great, so I’m not (worried).”
“I’m not worried about anything. I know this, we’re in late May. Is it even June yet? I don’t even—we’re not even in June. So, life’s good. We’re going to be just fine.”
Now, with training camp coming up, it could be the perfect time to secure that extension for Anzalone, keeping him in Detroit past 2025. What could that new contract look like?
Baseline numbers for an Alex Anzalone contract extension
When considering an extension for Anzalone, you have to factor in his age. He’ll be 31 this season, so an extension would begin entering his age-32 campaign.
Of course, the Detroit linebacker has also been one of the team’s most underrated players in recent years, which has especially been seen when he’s off the field. The Lions also aren’t afraid of extending their core players despite their age, having given guard/center Graham Glasgow a three-year, $20 million deal entering his age-31 season.
There aren’t many quality linebackers seeking extensions on the wrong side of 30, but there could be some baseline numbers to look at in similar ranges.
One free agency deal to consider from last offseason was the Carolina Panthers signing Josey Jewell to a three-year, $18.75 million deal with $10.125 million guaranteed. Jewell was 30 in the first year of that deal, but there could be a correlation there.
Similarly, the Denver Broncos re-upped linebacker Alex Singleton on a three-year, $18 million deal with $9 million guaranteed entering his age-30 season. An older case could be DeMario Davis, who got a two-year, $17.25 million extension with $13.25 million guaranteed from the New Orleans Saints heading into his age-35 campaign.
Anzalone’s last deal alone could be a benchmark, as he was in a similar price range, getting a three-year, $18.3 million deal with $9 million guaranteed.
Projecting a new Alex Anzalone’s deal
The age is key here for Anzalone, who will be entering his age-32 season on an extension. So, I don’t see a three-year extension on the cards, unlike some of the other deals.
Instead, a two-year deal with one year of guarantees would make sense. In that case, the linebacker would earn some guaranteed money, while the Lions would maintain significant flexibility in the case Anzalone’s play declines in 2025 or 2026.
Given that it’s a shorter-term deal, a slight bump in salary from his previous contract would make sense, perhaps on par with the one-year contracts that Bobby Wagner and Lavonte David got for $9 million each.
I see a two-year deal worth around $15 million with $9 million in guarantees making the most sense for the Lions linebacker. That would bring his three-year compensation to $21 million, while the guaranteed money would likely include the signing bonus, Anzalone’s 2025 salary, and a portion of his 2026 salary.
Anzalone gets a good chunk of guaranteed money, while the Lions can likely lower his cap hit for the 2025 year and keep flexibility as mentioned in 2026 and 2027.
Projection: 2 years, $15 million, $9 million in total guarantees