The Detroit Lions lost plenty of key contributors in the offseason, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But not many fans thought that the team got significantly worse. The hope was that with better injury luck, the Lions could be better than they were in 2025.
Through the first two games of the season, that couldn't be further from reality. Detroit's defensive unit has been a mess. While defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard deserves a lot of criticism, the downgrade in personnel has also played a large role.
One defender the Lions are certainly missing is Al-Quadin Muhammad. The veteran EDGE had a breakout season with Detroit last season, emerging as a starting-caliber option opposite Aidan Hutchinson. But the Lions let him sign a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers instead.
After seeing Muhammad's start to the season, the Lions may be regretting this decision.
Al-Quadin Muhammad would have helped the Lions a lot
The Bucs have been a major disappointment through the first two weeks. They are 0-2 after losses to the Bengals and the Browns, and their defense is a big reason why. Muhammad, however, has been one major silver lining.
The 31-year-old pass rusher has been one of the best performers in Tampa. In Week 1, he had the fourth-highest pass-rush win percentage in the entire NFL, finishing the game with two quarterback hits. He wasn't as effective in Week 2, but he was still one of the better defenders on the team.
Muhammad's 75.0 defensive grade on Pro Football Focus ranks 19th among all edge defenders right now. His pass rush grade in True Pass Sets ranks 15th among all edge defenders. He has easily been the best defensive end for Tampa, even though he has played fewer snaps than Rueben Bain Jr. and Yaya Diaby through two weeks. That may have to change for them to bounce back.
For Lions fans who saw Muhammad up close last season, this is hardly surprising. The veteran defender finished with 11 sacks, 20 QB hits, and nine tackles for loss. Instead of retaining him, however, the Lions signed DJ Wonnum in free agency and drafted Derrick Moore.
While this was an attempt to get younger, it hasn't borne fruit for the Lions. Especially since it didn't require a lucrative, multi-year contract to lure Muhammad away from Detroit, one could argue that it was a mistake to let him walk. It's difficult to imagine that he wouldn't have been an upgrade over what Wonnum and Tyler Lacy are providing the team so far.
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