After an uninspired loss in Minnesota, the Detroit Lions are now eliminated from the 2026 NFL playoff picture. The offensive line, dealing with injuries and a lack of development from young players, literally collapsed on national television.
The Lions are filled with playmakers on offense, and their defense has talent when they aren't bitten by the injury bug. But the roster needs tweaking. Detroit can't just run the offensive line back next year and hope growth from Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany will take hold.
There is also the scary truth that Graham Glasgow will be 34, and Taylor Decker will be 32 next year. Both players' best days are firmly in the rearview mirror. What was once a strength has now become a weakness that general manager Brad Holmes will have to address.
But how many resources will Holmes have to work with? It's a looming question.
Worry About Cash - Not Cap.
One of the biggest misconceptions that fans have regarding the business of NFL roster management is hyper-focusing on salary cap room.
That is important, but it is not nearly as important as cash spending. Every ownership group gives their decision-makers a cash budget that they have to work with. These budgets are not published anywhere, but we can look at previous seasons' spending habits to get a projected budget for the future. Here is how the Lions have spent over the past five seasons.
Season | NFL Salary Cap (Millions) | Lions Cash Spending (Millions) | Cash/Cap Spending % |
|---|---|---|---|
2021 | $182.5 | $188.8 | 103.5% |
2022 | $208.2 | $221.3 | 106.3% |
2023 | $224.8 | $205.1 | 91.2% |
2024 | $255.4 | $306.5 | 120.0% |
2025 | $279.2 | $283.3 | 101.5% |
Detroit's cash spending has averaged about 5% over the salary cap. I currently have 2026's NFL salary cap projected at $305 million. That would mean the Lions spending next year can reasonably be estimated at about $320 million.
Holmes has worked hard to lock up his premium talent to early extensions. But the bill for those efforts is coming due. Here are the sizeable cash payments the Lions owe next year.
Player | 2026 Cash Commitment |
|---|---|
QB Jared Goff | $55,000,000 |
DE Aidan Hutchinson | $29,872,000 |
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown | $28,110,000 |
IDL Alim McNeill | $24,000,000 |
RT Penei Sewell | $20,000,000 |
LT Taylor Decker | $18,200,000 |
CB D.J. Reed | $15,000,000 |
WR Jameson Williams | $13,493,000 |
S Kerby Joseph | $11,500,000 |
LB Derrick Barnes | $8,000,000 |
C Graham Glasgow | $7,000,000 |
RB David Montgomery | $6,000,000 |
Those 12 players combined will collect $247,075,000 from Detroit. That leaves just under $73 million for 41 other players on the active roster. And that's before injuries and in-season roster moves.
In all, the Lions have just under $275 million in cash commitments for 38 players under contract next year. Based on their current draft positioning, they are going to have to lay out another $25,977,368 for the 2026 draft class.
With another eight active roster spots available at a reasonable minimum salary of about $1.25 million each and Detroit is already committed to about $310 million. That leaves them with just $10 million to improve their roster by way of a notable free agent pickup
Extension Candidates
None of the above is taking into account the talented 2023 draft class that will be extension-eligible at the conclusion of this season. Linebacker Jack Campbell, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, safety Brian Branch and tight end Sam LaPorta will all be inquiring about high-dollar extensions with Detroit in the coming months.
Here is a reasonable projection of how much each could command on an extension, along with the cash flow bump they would expect on an even cash-flow layout for their updated contracts.
Player | Extension Years | Projected APY | Cash Flow Bump |
|---|---|---|---|
Jahmyr Gibbs | 3 | $19 million | $11,681,857 |
Jack Campbell | 3 | $17 million | $11,391,961 |
Brian Branch | 4 | $24 million | $17,724,900 |
Sam LaPorta | 4 | $14.5 million | $9,967,345 |
If Detroit wanted to lock in all four of their top picks from 2023, they would need another $50,766,063 in cash. This is way beyond the available cash at their disposal, using their recent spending habits as the barometer. The chances the Lions look to lock down all four of their burgeoning superstars is low, but based on their cash position, they may have to punt on all four. That's not a great spot to be in.
Potential Cut Candidates
Most of the team's significant cash commitments for 2026 are of the guaranteed variety. Only Decker, Glasgow and Montgomery's salaries could be discharged if the team wanted to save cash to reallocate it to extensions or external free agents.
Montgomery's surface level production is stable. His yards per carry of 4.5 is a tick above his 2023-2024 average. His 3.10 yards after contact per carry is also a tick ahead of his first two years in Detroit. But his forced missed tackle rates this year is under 20% for the first time since 2021. His $6 million salary is just under the going rate for a veteran starting interior offensive lineman these days.
Similarly, the team could try to shuffle a deck chair by cutting Glasgow in favor of an external option for a similar price.
Decker is the most likely option in my mind. He is allowing pressure on almost 6% of his pass block reps. Some of that may be due to working next to a young guard in Mahogany. But he also just looked like he isn't playing at the same level against Minnesota.
Branch Rickey famously said it's best to move on from a player a year too early than a year late. If Holmes decides to cut Decker, he can use the $18.2 million in cash savings to bring in two veteran interior offensive linemen to try and find the best combination of starters and depth in 2026. Holmes would then most likely have to find Decker's replacement in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft.
Good rosters get expensive quickly. Having long-term plans to transition position groups is important to maintain those rosters. And when a plan does not go well, financial resources are important to help pivot when those plans don't go well. The Lions may be running out of those resources.
There is an easy fix, though. If Sheila Ford Hamp decides to open up the purse strings and return to a 2024-like budget, then the possibilities grow linearly, keeping their current success window open.