Detroit Lions: 7 players who could be gone in 2018
By Zac Snyder
Haloti Ngata
In the last year of his contract and coming off a biceps injury that ended his season, it stands to question whether or not we’ve already seen the last of Haloti Ngata. Retirement is something he’s contemplated before so it wouldn’t be a surprise for him to at least give it some thought after this season.
The Detroit Lions’ run defense got awfully soft in the middle part of the season – a spot that seemed to coincide with Ngata being lost for the season due to injury. Ngata’s days as one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the game are over but his absence helped highlight the fact that he can still contribute.
If Ngata wants to keep playing and the price is right, there is reason to believe the Ngata-Lions relationship should continue for at least another year. However, there are at least a few moving pieces that need to fall into place before that happens so there is no guarantee. Ngata could retire or the Lions could go all-in on a youth movement.
Like Tahir Whitehead, Ngata is a player who Bob Quinn inherited but retained by re-signing during Quinn’s first free agency period as Lion’s general manager.