5 Detroit Lions players who 'robbed the team blind' this year

4. S Tracy Walker

The Lions rewarded Walker for a rebound season in 2021 with a three-year, $25 million contract in 2022. He suffered a torn Achilles in Week 3 of that season, and as he made a phenomenal recovery he was bumped down the depth chart due to the presence of C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

Gardner-Johnson's torn pectoral in Week 2 put Walker back into the lineup for 10 games. Then he was benched in favor of Ifeatu Melifonwu, who has delivered big-time over the last four games. The former team captain has played special teams in those games, and with Gardner-Johnson likely back this week his role is not going to increase.

Walker has carried a cap hit of about $6.3 million this season, to be a backup and a special teamer at times with some struggles when he has played a lot. He's all but surely going to be gone in the offseason, via a trade or a cut that would carry some level of dead money hit regardless of the precise move.

3. OG Halapoulivaati Vaitai

After missing all of last season due to a back injury, Vaitai took a significant pay cut last offseason to stay in Detroit. He opened the season back as the starter at right guard, before a knee injury opened the door for Graham Glasgow to take the job (and never give it back). More recently, "Big V" had his back injury pop back up and he's all but certainly done for the season.

Vaitai still carried a cap hit a little north of $5 million this year, which was a top-10 mark on the Lions' roster, with a $3 million base salary. His time in Detroit is over when the season is done, but with hindsight being 20/20 maybe he should have been let go last offseason.