The Lions built their roster to win now, but in 2026 the bill comes due — and not everyone who helped get Detroit here will be able to stay.
The Detroit Lions are no longer a rebuilding team flush with financial freedom. They are a contender paying premium prices to premium talent, and the 2026 salary cap picture reflects that reality.
Detroit is currently projected to have $13,846,852 in cap space for 2026, ranking 22nd in the NFL, with roughly $4.3 million in dead cap already accounted for. On the surface, that number suggests limited flexibility. In practice, it underscores how aggressively general manager Brad Holmes has committed to a championship window built around a core that is now fully paid.
Quarterback Jared Goff headlines that core. His four-year, $212 million contract carries an average annual value of $53 million and runs through 2028. Defensive cornerstone Aidan Hutchinson isn’t far behind after signing a four-year, $180 million extension that stretches through 2030. Add massive extensions for Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, Alim McNeill, Kerby Joseph and Jameson Williams, and Detroit has effectively locked in the nucleus of a contender for the rest of the decade.
That stability comes at a cost.
By 2026, the Lions will be operating with a top-heavy cap structure. St. Brown ($30 million AAV), Sewell ($28 million), McNeill ($24.25 million), Joseph ($21.5 million) and Taylor Decker ($20 million) all command elite money at their respective positions. Detroit’s philosophy has been clear: pay your own, draft well, and fill around the edges.
That approach puts several veterans at the center of difficult decisions.
Among the most notable unrestricted free agents after the 2025 season are DT D.J. Reader, LB Alex Anzalone, CB Amik Robertson, DE Al-Quadin Muhammad, WR Kalif Raymond, G Kayode Awosika, DT Roy Lopez and DE Marcus Davenport. Several of those players were key contributors during the Lions’ rise, but not all will return.
Reader, who signed a two-year, $22 million deal through 2025, will be 32 entering free agency. While his interior presence has been valuable, Detroit may view him as a short-term solution rather than a long-term investment, especially with McNeill already on a massive deal and younger defensive linemen in the pipeline.
Anzalone presents another emotional crossroads. A team captain and locker-room leader, the veteran linebacker could be allowed to walk if Detroit chooses to lean more heavily on Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes, both of whom are under contract through 2027. Paying top dollar for a third linebacker may not align with a tightening cap.
In the secondary, Amik Robertson’s future likely hinges on cost. With Terrion Arnold on a rookie deal through 2028 and D.J. Reed signed through 2027, Detroit may prioritize youth and flexibility over another veteran contract.
On offense, Kalif Raymond’s role as a return specialist and depth receiver remains valuable, but the Lions have significant money tied up in St. Brown and Williams. Raymond could be a cap casualty if a younger, cheaper option emerges.
Detroit does have levers to pull if more space is needed. Contract restructures for Goff, Sewell or St. Brown could create short-term relief, though Holmes has historically avoided kicking too much money down the road.
The bottom line: the Lions aren’t in cap trouble — but they are in cap reality. The roster is built to win now, and 2026 will test Detroit’s ability to balance loyalty, production and financial discipline. For a franchise chasing its first Super Bowl, those are exactly the kinds of problems worth having.