The Detroit Lions and linebacker Alex Anzalone met in the middle of contract negotiations on the day of the team’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Field Yates of ESPN reported on Thursday, July 31, that the franchise is adding some cash to Anzalone’s 2025 salary along with fully guaranteeing his deal for the upcoming campaign.
“The Lions recently adjusted the contract of LB Alex Anzalone for this season, adding $250K to his $6M base salary (which they also guaranteed), plus incentives to increase his potential earnings to more for this year,” Yates posted to his X account.
Age, Injury History May Have Contributed to Lions’ Hesitancy to Offer Alex Anzalone New Contract
GettyDetroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone.
Anzalone is entering the final season of his three-year deal, which is worth just over $18 million total. The former third-round pick out of Florida will turn 31 early this season and has sought a new deal from the Lions.
Anzalone has been in Detroit for the past four seasons and started all 57 games in which he’s played. He has missed 11 contests over that span, including seven outings last year due to a broken forearm.
Considering the nature of his most recent and damaging injury, and the fact that there is no through line to other issues that caused him to sit out three games in 2021 and one contest in 2023, it isn’t likely that health issues are what have the Lions pumping the brakes on committing to the linebacker on a new multiyear deal.
The age of 30 is a significant benchmark in a player’s career, and Anzalone now has eight years of NFL service on his resumé. He is a central part to what Detroit does on defense and has proven a significant contributor to the team’s considerable success over the last two seasons.
Due to his age, it is unclear what it might take from a performance perspective in 2025 for Anzalone to secure a new contract. He has been in on 395 tackles, tallying 22 for loss, to go along with 26 QB hits, 24 pass breakups, 6.5 sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble during his Lions tenure.
Lions Need More Pass Rushers Alongside Aidan Hutchinson
GettyDetroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.
The Lions have the salary cap space to offer Anzalone a new deal, with north of $48 million available as of July 31. That said, the defense has more pressing issues.
Namely, Detroit must figure out how it will pressure opposing quarterbacks better than last season. The Lions finished the year with 37 sacks as a team, which tied them for 23rd in the league.
The return of defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who like Anzalone suffered a broken bone that cost him a huge chunk of last season, is obviously going to help with that tremendously. However, Za’Darius Smith is no longer on the roster and proven edge rushers are almost non-existent on the depth chart behind Hutchinson.
It stands to reason that the Lions will at least explore the addition of another pass rusher in the coming month, though certainly not in time for the first preseason snap of the summer, which comes Thursday night at 7 p.m. central time.
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