The Detroit Lions currently have a significant amount of money tied up into extensions in the 2026 season and beyond.
With just one game remaining in the 2025 season, the Lions will quickly shift their focus to the future. There will be no return to the postseason this year for Detroit, which has had its two-year streak of winning the NFC North snapped with their playoff elimination in Week 17.
Detroit will have to revisit what led to their downfall this season, with the offseason presenting them the opportunity to plug the holes on the roster through the Draft and free agency. General manager Brad Holmes and company will need to evaluate the best course of action, and cap space is currently slim for next season.
Currently, the Lions have $5,893,062 in available projected cap space for the 2026 season, with over $311 already in cap liabilities according to OverTheCap.com. However, they are in the red when it comes to effective cap space at -$10,557,530. Effective cap space is calculated by the amount a team will have on its books after signing 51 players and its rookie class.
Currently, the Lions have 38 players on their books for the 2026 season. Detroit can add space in multiple ways, including rollover from 2025, contract restructures and cuts.
OverTheCap currently projects the NFL cap to be set at $295.5 million, up from the 2025 mark of $279.2 million.
The Lions do have some funds to carryover from this season, as they have $20,178,880 in cap space in 2025. Per NFL rules, teams can roll over unused cap funds from one season to the next.
There are several options on the roster for restructures, including quarterback Jared Goff. The veteran currently has a cap hit of almost $70 million, and the Lions could free up some space by moving part of his deal further down the line of his four-year extension signed prior to last season.
Another player with an intriguing future is offensive tackle Taylor Decker. According to OTC, Decker does not have any guaranteed money over next year and the following, which mark the final two years of his three-year deal. Decker has missed three games this year with injuries, and has been dealing with nagging shoulder injuries throughout the offseason and into the regular season.
Decker is a player the Lions would be unlikely to part ways with under typical circumstances, but he mentioned to the Detroit Free Press that he’s uncertain whether or not he’ll return in 2026 due to the physical toll playing has taken on him.
Other notable players who do not have guaranteed salary in their contracts for 2026 include running back David Montgomery, offensive lineman Graham Glasgow and tight end Brock Wright.
The Lions will also have fifth-year option decisions to make on running back Jahmyr Gibbs and linebacker Jack Campbell this offseason. Though both options wouldn’t take effect until 2027, these decisions must be made by May and would take a chunk out of their pool for the 2027 season should they both be accepted.
Detroit also has $4,358,290 in dead cap commitments currently for the 2026 season, including payouts to retired center Frank Ragnow and waived players such as Hendon Hooker, Brodric Martin and Ahmed Hassanein. Notably, Hassanein is still with the organization on the practice squad but the dead money was incurred when they waived him with an injury designation following training camp.
Lions top 10 salary cap hits in 2026
- QB Jared Goff — $69,600,000
- WR Amon-Ra St. Brown — $33,110,000
- DT Alim McNeill — $28,966,000
- OT Penei Sewell — $28,000,000
- OT Taylor Decker — $21,348,000
- CB D.J. Reed — $18,047,000
- DE Aidan Hutchinson — $10,146,400
- LB Derrick Barnes — $9,264,000
- OL Graham Glasgow — $8,437,500
- RB David Montgomery — $8,370,833
Lions 2026 dead cap commitments
- C Frank Ragnow (Retired) — $3,600,000
- QB Hendon Hooker — $289,823
- DT Brodric Martin — $214,378
- DE Ahmed Hassanein — $172,419
Lions 2026 pending unrestricted free agents
- QB Kyle Allen
- WR Kalif Raymond
- TE Shane Zylstra
- OT Jamarco Jones
- OG Kayode Awosika
- DT DJ Reader
- DT Roy Lopez
- DT Levi Onwuzurike
- DE Marcus Davenport
- DE Al-Quadin Muhammad
- DE Josh Paschal
- LB Alex Anzalone
- LB Grant Stuard
- LB Malcolm Rodriguez
- LB Ezekiel Turner
- LB Zach Cunningham
- CB Amik Robertson
- CB Rock Ya-Sin
- S Avonte Maddox
- S Daniel Thomas
