Brian Branch received a one-game suspension this past season after getting into a fight with Kansas City Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuester at the end of the Lions' game against the Chiefs in Week 6. It was another boneheaded decision by Branch that left the Lions shorthanded on defense and specifically in their secondary, which is where they suffered the most as a result of injuries.
So, would Lions fans like to welcome another defender in the secondary that clearly might have the same issue with in-game dramatics potentially costing the team?
Riq Woolen, an impending free agent who is now Super Bowl-bound, almost cost the Seattle Seahawks a victory after receiving an ill-advised taunting penalty in the 3rd quarter of their game against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship.
That penalty was immediately followed up with a braggadocios touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Puka Nacua, with his defender being Woolen.
We can argue all day about whether the penalty was justified. To be very honest, it felt a bit unnecessary. The chippy-ness was high between both teams, so to exact that penalty at such a key point in the contest felt like a huge momentum shift perpetuated by the officials. You never want that in a title game.
Still, Woolen just showed a glimpse of what the Lions may want to avoid in their next free agency class. His talent speaks for itself, though, and he'd still be more than worth the investment if Detroit finds they have the cap space to bring him on.
Woolen almost played himself off the Lions' radar in NFC title game
Woolen's one faux pas on the field - allowing that huge bomb to Nacua as both teams were continuously exchanging haymakers - shouldn't detract from how solid of a game he had. He was outshined by rookie defender Nick Emmanwori, to be sure, but he was still hugely impactful. He recorded two passes defended and was generally great in man coverage throughout the game.
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Woolen would be such a boost to this Lions defense that's in desperate need of depth in their secondary. D.J. Reed was a bit of a disappointment in his first season with Detroit, although we can likely chalk that up to him recovering from a hamstring injury suffered very early on in 2025. Terrion Arnold looked great to begin the year, but also suffered from injuries that kept him off the field.
The Lions are likely anticipating Taylor Decker's decision to retire, or not, and then we'll get a much clearer picture of their cap situation in 2026. As of now, though, they're staring down the barrel of a deficit to the tune of $16 million, with several huge decisions to make about big contracts outside of Decker's.