The Detroit Lions have seen multiple players leave in free agency, and one of those guys was Al-Quadin Muhammad. After a standout 2025 campaign, Muhammad received a one-year, $6 million deal from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but was confused why the Lions didn't make much of an effort to retain him.
Regardless of how he felt, the Lions closed the door on this chapter of his career, and there's a good chance he doesn't play at the same level with his new team in 2026.
Muhammad Could Be on a Downward Spiral with the Bucs After Lions Exit
Last season, Muhammad played his best football since he stepped foot in the NFL, finishing with career-highs in sacks (11), QB hurries (32), QB hits (20), and TFLs (9). Muhammad was able to get after the quarterback at a high rate with the Lions, but he likely won't be able to recapture that same success in Tampa Bay, and there are multiple reasons for that.
First off, and perhaps most important, the Buccaneers don't have anyone on that defensive line who is as good as Aidan Hutchinson. The former Michigan standout commands a lot of attention, and that allowed Muhammad to get more one-on-one pass-rush opportunities. He won't have those same opportunities in Tampa Bay, as edge rush help was at the top of its list of needs, and Muhammad was the Buccaneers' only meaningful addition at that position thus far.
Secondly, Tampa Bay's pass defense had its fair share of troubles in 2025. They ranked 28th in pass defense (238.2) and lost one of their best cornerbacks, Jamel Dean, in free agency. If the pass coverage can't hold up, Muhammad will have less time to get home.
Finally, the biggest reason why Muhammad is likely to be less productive moving forward is that last season looked like an outlier. Through the first seven years of his career, Muhammad never posted more than 37 pressures or six sacks in a season. He was more of a rotational piece along the defensive front before taking off in 2025. Now he's playing in a new scheme, which comes with new verbiage and responsibilities. That transition alone could slow him down, making him play as freely as he did with the Lions.
Although Muhammad was a difference-maker for the Lions in 2025, the odds are that he doesn't have the same level of success in Tampa Bay. Detroit's front office likely felt the same, as they didn't try to bring him back despite the pass rusher only receiving a $6 million payday. When taking a look at his career in every other season, there is little proof to go off of to suggest that this level of production will be the new normal for Muhammad. He now has 26 sacks in his career, which means a whopping 42 percent of those came in 2025.
It may have been lightning in a bottle with Muhammad looking to cash in during a contract year. With him being a goner, there's a nice possibility that he's a letdown in Tampa Bay.