Bringing in Alex Anzalone will quietly go down as one of the most impactful moves of the Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell-Brad Holmes era. The veteran linebacker represented the organization to the fullest, and his versatility shined — as it now does for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Anzalone has wasted no time settling into a new home after signing a two-year, $17 million contract with the Buccaneers in March. He's reportedly "carved out his role," assuming the weakside spot in the middle of head coach Todd Bowles' aggressive defense.
Sound familiar, Lions fans?
It feels like just yesterday when Anzalone hit the ground running in the Motor City. He was voted a captain by his teammates roughly six months after joining Detroit back in 2021, and the rest is history.
Alex Anzalone wasted no time showing the Buccaneers why he was a Lions fan favorite
As a true jack-of-all-trades, Anzalone's game evidently travels well. His "physicality and diagnosis skills [were] on full display" throughout Tampa Bay's organized team activities (OTAs), per the team's official website.
The Bucs desperately need a leader to emerge following future Hall of Famer Lavonte David's decision to retire earlier this offseason. They've progressively gotten younger on the defensive side of the ball over the past few campaigns.
Enter Anzalone, who had the tremendous honor of donning the "C" in all five of his seasons with the Lions. He set the standard for the rest of the group and helped them reach new heights. A similar pattern appears to be taking shape in Tampa Bay, with him becoming a prominent figure in their locker room almost instantly.
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Making a strong first impression can go a long way, as Anzalone has already proven. He was a rotational player before capturing lightning in a bottle and blossoming into an every-down chess point and respected voice in Detroit. His early success with the Bucs is an encouraging development, as the Lions faithful knows all too well.
A concussion sidelined Anzalone for Week 18 in 2025, though he was productive across the board. The 2017 third-round pick recorded 95 tackles (four for loss), nine pass deflections, six quarterback hits, 2.5 sacks and an interception in 16 games. His efforts yielded a solid 67.5 overall Pro Football Focus grade, good for 32nd out of 88 qualified linebackers.
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