The Detroit Lions are set to hit free agency with a very huge slate of names to consider re-signing.
While not every player on this list is someone the team should consider bringing back, a few are likely to net deals that are worth far more than what they could offer. That's because there's a bit of a vacuum of starting talent in this offseason’s free agent market. That means major overpays are bound to happen for players that'd more likely have seen backup pay in another other year.
The Lions' biggest priorities with this free agency class are making sure they're not breaking the bank to keep on anyone due for regression from their 2025 performance, or that they're not continuing to give chances to players that have yet to prove they can stay healthy or available throughout the year.
Here's a list of all of Detroit's free agents hitting the market on March 9, with one note on Jake Bates: he'll be back with the team after being tendered, per Detroit Free Press's Dave Birkett. He was an ERFA, which means if the Lions gave him a new deal, he'd have to take it.
Full list of Detroit Lions free agents
Name + Position | Free agency status |
|---|---|
DJ Reader, IDL | UFA |
Alex Anzalone, LB | UFA |
Amik Robertson, CB | UFA |
Kalif Raymond, WR | UFA |
Roy Lopez, IDL | UFA |
Marcus Davenport, EDGE | UFA |
Grant Stuard, LB | UFA |
Daniel Thomas, S | UFA |
Al-Quadin Muhammad, EDGE | UFA |
Avonte Maddox, CB | UFA |
Kayode Awosika, RT | UFA |
Kyle Allen, QB | UFA |
Arthur Maulet, CB | UFA |
Zeke Turner, LB | UFA |
Zach Cunningham, LB | UFA |
Jalen Mills, CB | UFA |
Trystan Colon, C | UFA |
Rock Ya-SIn, CB | UFA |
Anthony Firkser, TE | UFA |
Jamarco Jones, LT | UFA |
Tom Kennedy, WR | RFA |
Tyrus Wheat, EDGE | RFA |
Malcolm Rodriguez, LB | UFA |
Of note, Tyrus Wheat was reportedly not tendered by the Lions, which means he's hitting the free agency market without a deal from the Lions. That likely means he's done with the squad. In addition, LG Michael Niese, RB Jacob Saylors, and CB Nick Whiteside had all been tendered as soon as the 2025 season wrapped.
Both Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Paschal missed the entirety of the 2025 season due to some interesting CBA rules. For Onwuzurike, because he was never able to begin practicing ahead of the 2025 season thanks to a torn ACL and was placed on the PUP list, his contract automatically tolled to the 2026 cap year.
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Paschal, as the article above from Pride of Detroit notes, is also seeing his contract carried over to the 2026 season for a similar reason: as he was placed on the NFI list, he gets his deal tolled for this cap year.
Detroit is likely to try and retain Reader, Anzalone, Muhammad, Robertson, Maddox, Raymond, and several members of their "Legion Of Whom" who stepped up for them amidst another flurry of injuries last season. Only time will tell if they're actually successful at hammering home a deal with any of the above players.