One of the clearest signs the Detroit Lions have done their roster build the right way is the success the team is having mixed with the salary cap space they have. That’s what happens when you draft as well as they have, but the process of paying that contract piper started last offseason and will continue until further notice as those top young players reach their second contract.

As it sits right now, the Lions have the ninth-most salary cap space in the league for 2025 ($59.76 million, according to Over The Cap). Moves can and will be made to open up more cap space, but the Lions are in a pretty good position to do whatever they want to do this offseason. Even accounting for what it would take to get to a top-51 players under contract for next season, the Lions are in a good spot in relation to the salary cap as we look toward the offseason.

And it will get better.

Lions’ 2025 salary cap position lined up to be notably bolstered by carryover

According to Over The Cap, each NFL team submitted to the league the amount of salary cap money it will carry over from 2024 to 2025 this week.

Pending the league making the numbers official, the Lions will have the fifth-most carryover in the league-$23,732,763. The San Francisco 49ers lead the way with over $50 million in carryover, and the Cleveland Browns are second ($41.951 million). The New York Jets bring up the rear ($345,919), and the Carolina Panthers are the only other team with less than $1 million in carryover ($490,368). The league average carryover was $11,584,981.

The Lions have some notable names (Aidan Hutchinson, Kerby Joseph, Carlton Davis, Jameson Williams) eligible for contract extensions this offseason. Hutchinson and Williams of course have fifth-year options as 2022 first-round picks, but the decision to exercise those options could wind up only being a placeholder for a longer-term deal getting done with both guys.

In any case, the Lions will have a noticeable amount of carryover cap space at their disposal this offseason and extra financial flexibility is always a good thing.