The Detroit Lions may not be in the postseason, but there are still a few storylines worth following if you're a Lions fans planning to tune into this weekend's title games.
Several players set to suit up for the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, and Denver Broncos are also set to become free agents this offseason, and there are a few that the Lions should be taking a serious look at as potential additions to this roster. Namely, additions to their offensive line and their secondary.
There are four players specifically that Detroit should be keeping tabs on during Sunday's contests, with one big name emerging amongst that quartet: Riq Woolen.
Riq Woolen and 3 free agents Lions should be keeping an eye on during title games
CB Riq Woolen - Seattle Seahawks
Let's knock out the obvious name here. Woolen would be an ideal fit in the Lions' secondary, adding a starter alongside either D.J. Reed or Terrion Arnold depending on how Arnold's shoulder injury rehabilitation has progressed. Woolen isn't a turnover machine necessarily, but he's great in man coverage and posted 12 defended passes in the 2025 season.
Per Spotrac, he's also anticipating quite a payday in 2026: a $15.7 million salary annually. That might be a little out of the Lions' fieldhouse if they're unable to get off a few bigger contracts such as the ones held by Alim McNeill ($19.8 million guaranteed salary in 2026) or Taylor Decker ($14.9 million base salary).
But, if Decker retires and the Lions restructure the deal of or trade McNeill, they can easily afford to pay Woolen for his services for at least a few seasons.
TE Austin Hooper - New England Patriots
Hooper is a low-profile tight end that could be a nice, cheap free agent target for the Lions to hit on. While we wait to see if Sam LaPorta is good to go to start the 2026 season thanks to a pesky back injury that held him out for the tail end of 2025, Hooper could be a worthy investment. The 31 year old tight end is only projected to net a $2.4 million deal, per Spotrac, which is well within the Lions' range.
New England isn't incentivized to keep Hooper with Hunter Henry stepping into the TE1 role this season, so Hooper would be an easy get for Detroit. You naturally worry about his age, but he'd be a lot more servicable than Brock Wright, who was a poor blocker and a not-great receiving option for Detroit down the stretch in 2025.
READ MORE: Lions find $62 million solution to injury woes in latest free agency projection
LB K'Lavon Chaisson - New England Patriots
Switching back to defense, Chaisson could be a nice acquisition for the Lions, as well. The sixth-year edge rusher posted 7.5 sacks along with two forced fumbles in 2025, and had 54 total pressures. He's not going to net a huge deal like Trey Hendrickson will for his services, but he'd be a nice fit alongside Aidan Hutchinson as an Al-Quadin Muhammad replacement, assuming he walks.
Each season he's been in the league, he has improved. His name might not be a hot one on the EDGE rusher market, and that could play right into the hands of the Lions if they aren't looking to make a huge swing trade for a star pass rusher this offseason.
LB Alex Singleton - Denver Broncos
An underreported aspect to this Lions offseason is that the team might lose Alex Anzalone in free agency. He's still considered a top linebacker in this league and, luckily for the Lions, him walking wouldn't impact their linebacker unit too greatly. They still have Jack Campbell in the fold and on a rookie deal, and he was just named a first-team All-Pro for the 2025 season.
Singleton is another older, cheaper option for the Lions to consider. The veteran posted 135 total tackles with the Broncos this season in addition to one sack, one forced fumble, and four passes defended. Adding him to the Lions' defense next to Campbell could be a tidy way of plugging an Anzalone-sized hole on the roster, assuming he's healthy in 2026.