You thought that the 2026 NFL Pro Bowl was just a photo opportunity dressed up as an actual football game between the league's "top" stars, which are really just the league's top stars and whoever is available to replace Super Bowl-bound stars?
You thought wrong!
The Detroit Lions have a whopping six Pro Bowlers in San Francisco this year for the festivities, where Jared Goff, Jalen Hurts, and Dak Prescott are being asked to lead the NFC to a victory against the...Shedeur Sanders and Joe Flacco-led AFC teams. I know, I know. But, just stick with me for a moment.
This isn't just about the Lions getting an opportunity to flex their stuff against the downtrodden AFC in a meaningless Tuesday night game before the actually important game happens on February 8. This is about Detroit essentially sending a delegation of six stars to go woo free agent talent ahead of the 2026 season.
One key free agent they can begin to win over in this year's Pro Bowl is Tyler Linderbaum.
Lions can start wooing Linderbaum at 2026 Pro Bowl
Detroit obviously can't risk getting fined for any sort of tampering, so we're not likely to see any outright pitches from tackle Penei Sewell or the rest of the Lions offense on the roster to Linderbaum. But, Sewell is basically the best representative you could have around a target like Linderbaum: this could be your future! The charm offensive is incoming.
Linderbaum is probably going to be too expensive for Detroit unless they make some serious trade moves or push some ridiculous amounts money into 2027 and beyond via restructurings. Linderbaum is projected to earn an annual salary of about $17.7 million per Spotrac, and a 4-year deal worth $70.8 million.
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And, the Baltimore Ravens are probably itching to get him back in the fold to maintain their anchored offensive line. They need that badly for a quarterback like Lamar Jackson, who began to show some wear and tear this past year.
Center is probably the Lions' biggest need this offseason. Not tackle, despite the threat of Taylor Decker retiring, and not pass rusher, with the team could very well address in this year's draft. This is a premium position that simply doesn't have a free agent like Linderbaum on the market that often. It's going to be worth a shot for general manager Brad Holmes to land a talent like him.