After securing the NFC’s No. 1 seed last year, the Lions will not qualify for the postseason in 2025. One of the reasons for the disappointing campaign is a defense that is currently in the bottom-10 in the NFL in terms of points allowed, and since the Lions have 17 defensive players eligible for unrestricted free agency in the upcoming offseason, they have a chance to reset and reconfigure.
Of course, not every defender has underperformed, and it stands to reason that Detroit will want to retain some of them. DE Al-Quadin Muhammad , for instance, has been an unexpected bright spot for defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard’s unit. After re-upping with the Lions via a modest one-year pact in March, Muhammad has achieved career-highs with 58 quarterback pressures and 11 sacks, thereby setting himself up for a nice raise.
However, Muhammad will turn 31 in March. His belated breakout, journeyman status, and the fact that most of his damage has been done in subpackages will prevent his next contract from breaking the bank, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press . Muhammad acknowledges that he and the team have not discussed an extension, though he would understandably welcome a new deal keeping him with the Lions.
Like Muhammad and all of the Lions’ other pending FAs on the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Alex Anzalone has not had in-season dialogue with Detroit brass about a new deal. The 31-year-old expressed disappointment with his contract situation over the summer, and while the Lions did not extend him, they gave him a $250K raise and added another $750K of incentives.
Anzalone has justified that minor contractual adjustment by playing in 96% of the Lions’ defensive snaps, recording 95 tackles, and proving himself as the team’s best coverage ‘backer. Birkett confirms prior reports suggesting the Lions will pursue an offseason extension for 2023 first-rounder Jack Campbell , and the team already authorized a three-year, $25.5MM deal for Derrick Barnes in March (which includes $7.5MM in 2026 guarantees). Even though most teams do not have three linebackers on notable deals, Birkett believes the Lions could make an exception for Anzalone, who says his prior dispute has not dissuaded him from remaining with the club.
After giving DE Marcus Davenport consecutive one-year contracts in the hopes that he would serve as an effective piece of their pass-rushing contingent, the Lions seem unlikely to bring him back in 2026, as Birkett suggests. Detroit appreciates Davenport’s efforts to overcome his injury woes, but he has been limited to nine games and 1.5 sacks over his two years in the Motor City.
Unlike Davenport, cornerback Amik Robertson has more than lived up to his contract, a two-year, $9.25MM deal he signed in 2024, by displaying versatility and durability over the 2024-25 campaigns. While he does not explicitly say so, Birkett implies Detroit will be interested in a new deal for Robertson, as the club will need depth and experience at the CB position.
Defensive tackles D.J. Reader and Roy Lopez are also eligible for free agency, and if the Lions have to choose between the two, Birkett thinks they will pick Lopez. Although he has played fewer snaps than Reader and fellow DTs Alim McNeill and Tyleik Williams , Lopez has been the most effective of the bunch. The 28-year-old is also three years younger than Reader and, in Birkett’s view, should not cost much more than the $3.5MM he earned in 2025.