Even though they finished the season out of the playoff chase, the Detroit Lions had plenty of good news as a tough season wore on.
While battling adversity as well as injuries and a tough schedule, the Lions finished 9-8 and managed to find some players that deserve to stick around amongst all the tumult of the year. One of those players was defensive back Avonte Maddox.
Orignially signed as depth in the offseason at cornerback, Maddox proved that he can play an effective role at safety after the injuries to Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph. By the end of the season, he was one of Detroit's best defenders statistically speaking.
Pro Football Focus liked what they saw from Maddox. Recently, Bradley Locker revealed the highest-graded free agent to be for every team. Perhaps surprisingly, Maddox was their answer given his solid work on the back end all season.
"Detroit’s injury-ravaged defense concluded the season 18th in EPA per play, mostly due to a catastrophic second half, but Maddox established himself as a bright spot. The former Eagle operated primarily as a safety, where he registered a 79.1 overall PFF grade. Indeed, across 342 total snaps, Maddox ranked in the 62nd percentile or better in both PFF coverage (75.0) and run-defense (75.8) grades."
In the last four weeks of the season, Maddox came on the strongest, putting up 12 total tackles and one interception. The pick helped cement a statement win for the Lions in the season finale against the Chicago Bears, and showed Maddox was a force to be taken seriously for the future.
Maddox's hard play to the end should earn him 2026 return to Lions
More than the metrics, the Lions should have learned everything they needed about Maddox when it came to how he finished the season. In spite of the fact that the Lions had nothing on the line, he still went out and played tough in the final weeks of the 2025 season, which said everything about his strong character.
As Maddox explained, the only direction he has looked throughout his career is forward. No matter the circumstances, he always wants to put his best foot forward and his best performance on tape.
READ MORE: Penei Sewell earns much-deserved nomination for inaugural NFL award
"For me, it's just always the next one. Every game I step out on the field, I'm playing to win. I'm playing to compete. I'm playing with a lot of pride no matter what the situation is. You can see that for every single player on this team. It's a team that fights no matter what the situation is. Everybody has something to play for. And no matter what it is, no matter what that little thing is you play for, you take it all out when you're out there on the field."
This is exactly the kind of veteran leadership the Lions need for 2026 in their defensive backfield. With the future health of Joseph uncertain and Branch likely to be out recovering until the middle of the season, the Lions need all the playmaking they can get in the second-level. Detroit may draft a safety, but it would be smart for them to keep a capable veteran around.
Maddox, a Detroit native, is potentially the first in-house call the Lions should make this offseason given his impressive recent work.