The Detroit Lions wasted no time making changes to their defense in the early hours of the NFL's free agency tampering period that opened on Monday. Now with free agency and the new league year officially underway, more changes may be in store, with linebacker Al-Quadin Muhammad being a player to keep a close eye on.
The veteran LB has spent his last two seasons in the Motor City and is coming off posting career-highs in quarterback hits (20), tackles for loss (9), QB pressures (26), and sacks (11). As one of several key players who aren't guaranteed to sign new contracts, the Lions may see Muhammad go elsewhere for next season following his career year.
As NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on Wednesday, the Indianapolis Colts "are signing former New York Jets defensive lineman Michael Clemons to a three-year, $17.5 million contract - with upside to $18.5 million." Meanwhile, the Washington Commanders agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal with former New England Patriots edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson, per Josh Alper of NBC Sports.
Clemons had 8.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles during his tenure with the Jets, while Chaisson had a career-high 7.5 sacks last season; Muhammad had a better 2025 campaign than both of them. He could be a similar one-hit wonder, but his uptick in performance could also be the prelude to getting priced out of Detroit's plans.
Lions May Face an Uphill Battle to Retain Al-Quadin Muhammad
Considering OverTheCap lists Detroit as being $6.7 million over the spending limit and Spotrac projects Muhammad to be in the ballpark of $15.7 million over the next two years for an average salary of $7.9 million, the Lions may have no choice but to let him go. If that is the case and last season was not an outlier, that could be a huge loss for the Lions.
With only 11 total tackles and three sacks in nine games with the Lions in 2024, Muhammad did not exactly have the best start to his tenure there. However, he improved his total tackles to 25, and his 11 sacks were more than he produced in the prior three seasons combined. He also appeared in all 17 games for Detroit, playing 457 defensive snaps, showing how reliable and impactful he can be when he is on the field.
As good as Muhammad was in 2025, the Lions need to address some other changes as well, including at defensive tackle and along the offensive line, where Detroit has already lost two key players in Graham Glasgow and Taylor Decker. Coming off a disappointing season, the Lions need to ensure they make the necessary changes to address their most pressing issues going into next season.
As the Seattle Seahawks proved on their way to a Super Bowl championship, it is extremely important to have a stout defense that can rush the QB and make key plays. Muhammad certainly stood out as a bright spot on this Lions defense last season, but that breakout may also come back to bite Detroit and earn him a significant pay increase somewhere else.