The Detroit Lions are getting ready to open their preseason schedule when they battle the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night, and the team is ready to avenge a 2024 season that ended with the best record in the NFC but a divisional round playoff loss to the Washington Commanders.
While Lions fans have impatiently waited to see their team return to the field, the road hasn’t been a smooth one. With Frank Ragnow’s retirement and the departure of Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, Detroit has a lot to figure out before its Sept. 7 opener against the Green Bay Packers. But they made one step to resolve an offseason issue on Thursday by giving an unhappy defender a little extra cash for the upcoming season.
Lions Give LB Alex Anzalone a Raise for 2025 Season
Alex Anzalone created one of the biggest storylines of the offseason as he looked for a new contract from the Lions. While the 31-year-old didn’t get the long-term deal he was seeking, the Lions did their best to mend the fence, adding $250,000 to his $6 million base salary for the upcoming season, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
The Lions recently adjusted the contract of LB Alex Anzalone for this season, adding $250K to his $6M base salary (which they also guaranteed), plus incentives to increase his potential earnings to more for this year.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 31, 2025
The revision, which also includes incentives to increase his potential earnings in 2025, is a nice move for the Lions to keep one of their key defenders in the fold, but also prevents them from locking in to a long-term commitment.
Anzalone is entering the final year of a three-year, $18.75 million contract and has become one of Detroit’s leaders on defense. Last season was a glaring example of how much he means to the team as he returned from a broken forearm to help the Lions defeat the Minnesota Vikings in a crucial Week 18 matchup with the NFC North title and home-field advantage on the line.
But Anzalone’s toughness wasn’t rewarded with a long-term deal. The Lions opted to extend fellow linebacker Derrick Barnes to a three-year, $25.5 million contract this offseason, and with 2023 first-round pick Jack Campbell due for a raise as soon as next offseason, Brad Holmes wanted to get cheaper and save his resources for the next wave of Detroit’s defense.
That triggered a holdout that saw Anzalone skip voluntary OTA workouts this offseason. While he reported to training camp on time, he didn’t practice right away due to a hamstring injury. But he has recently joined the team as the preseason opener draws near.
While he didn’t get what he wanted, Anzalone now has a chance to earn some extra money this year and a chance to audition for a final contract. Whether that be with the Lions or someone else remains to be seen, but it’s a suitable solution to a storyline that lingered this offseason.