Free agency isn't going to get interesting until March 9, which is when the window of opportunity opens for teams to begin negotiating with unrestricted free agents ahead of the 2026 season. The Detroit Lions have a ridiculously long list of players to negotiate with during that window, with many likely not returning to the squad.
And yet, on February 2, we already know of two players that are impacting the Lions' cap for 2026. Defenders Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Paschal just saw their contracts getting tolled against Detroit's 2026 payroll. Paschal's salary for 2026 isn't guaranteed, though, while Onwuzurike's is. This information was dropped by Detroit Football Network's Justin Rogers.
What does that mean for the Lions' cap space before a hugely important free agency period?
Lions' cap space takes a small hit thanks to contract carryover
This contract carry over for both Onwuzurike and Paschal is thanks to a CBA clause which dictates that a player who was previously on the non-football injury or illness list for a season is then entitled to their salary getting carried over. Onwuzurike's cap hit will be $1.5 million for 2026, while Paschal's could be $1 million.
So, nothing that impactful. There's also a very real chance that both are cut by the Lions, with a post-June 1 cut for Onwuzurike having the potential of saving the Lions $1.1 million against their cap. Also not that significant. It's almost worth it to just keep him on board and cut Paschal, considering how good he was when healthy for the team back in 2024.
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Onwuzurike finished up that season with 28 total tackles, 3.5 stuffs, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. Detroit could certainly use depth at DE, but it might not be worth the gamble given his past back injury and now a recent ACL injury that cost him the entire 2025 season.
These are two on the margin additions back to the Lions' 2026 cap that are likely to get handled once the roster is more fully fleshed out, 2026 NFL Draft included. Landing a pass rusher has to be a major priority for the Lions, especially given how deep this draft is at the position. Their 17th overall pick could end up landing them one of those top prospects.
That makes Onwuzurike, unfortunately, extremely expendable. Detroit could use all the cap relief they can get, and they could certainly use a shedding of $1 million for a player that can't stay on the field consistently.