There may not have been a team that experienced more change than the Detroit Lions this offseason. This training camp will be crucial for the Lions as they look to continue building on what they've done over the last couple of years.
Despite having a ton of starters returning, LB Alex Anzalone isn't thrilled with his current contract status with the team. When speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Anzalone said it's a "weird situation". He also added the dispute "wasn’t on my end or my agent’s end," but he won't hold out of games due to any contract problems.
#Lions’ Alex Anzalone describes this as a “weird situation” for sure and that it “wasn’t on my end or my agent’s end,” he said. However, he won’t hold out of playing any games due to any contract disputes. https://t.co/0yf58gXPFf pic.twitter.com/E1ChVlSK1b
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) July 22, 2025
Lions LB Alex Anzalone Isn’t Happy With the Team
On Monday, head coach Dan Campbell revealed that Anzalone will be sidelined due to a hamstring injury, but some fans believe it was related to his contract.
Regardless, the Lions should look at taking care of Anzalone, who is entering the last season of his three-year, $18 million deal. He's due $6 million in base salary and has $100,000 total in per-game bonuses.
That isn't high enough since the top-10 highest-paid linebackers in the NFL make at least $11 million per season. This offseason, LB Derrick Barnes inked a three-year, $24 million deal with Detroit, which featured $16 million fully guaranteed.
While Barnes is a solid linebacker at the second level, he hasn't been as productive as Anzalone and is coming off a major knee injury.
In four seasons in the Motor City, the Florida product has tallied 395 total tackles, 22 TFLs, 26 QB hits, 6.5 sacks, and 24 pass breakups. He's finished with 100-plus tackles in two of his last three seasons and only didn't hit that mark in 2024 due to missing seven games with a fractured forearm.
According to PFF, he's finished with an overall grade of at least 68 and coverage grade of at least 65 over the last two seasons.
Another underrated factor about Anzalone is his leadership. He's been a team captain for the last four seasons and is someone that Campbell relies on inside the locker room. Even though he will turn 31 years old, the Lions should look at taking care of Anzalone on a short term but lucrative deal.
That's a middle ground where the Lions don't have to break the bank for a long period of time, but Anzalone could get a pay raise for the next two years (2025 and 2026) that would keep him happy.
This seems like the most logical way forward, as Anzalone isn't hiding the fact that he wants a new deal.