The Detroit Lions have multiple avenues to create cap space this offseason, which is a good thing for Brad Holmes and the front office, as the franchise is projected to be $8.5 million over the cap for the 2026 campaign, as of this writing.
While some players will ultimately see their time in the Motor City come to an end in the coming weeks and months, via trade or outright release, others will be asked to restructure their respective contracts to help make the necessary additions that this roster desperately needs easier to stomach.
One of the players who could, and probably should, be approached about restructuring the deal he signed is defensive tackle Alim McNeill, as he can provide the team with as much as $17 million in savings, per Spotrac, which would be a much more prudent option for Detroit than trading or releasing the defender this offseason.
Lions Likely Must Take on McNeill Risk to Create Necessary Cap Space
The only avenue the Lions have to provide meaningful savings by moving off McNeill's contract comes via trade after June 1. In that scenario, Detroit would add just over $9.6 million in dead cap money in 2026, and another $11.1 million in 2027, while saving $24 million this offseason.
Given that McNeill has missed 14 games over the last three seasons and is working his way back from an ACL issue that ended his 2024 campaign, the likelihood that any other team would be interested in adding that type of salary via trade is slim to none. A trade before June 1 would offer Detroit just over $11.1 million. For the reasons above, though, it shouldn't be considered likely, as any potential trade partner would be taking on damaged goods without any real opportunity to see what McNeill is capable of providing their defense following this injury.
This leaves Holmes and the Lions with two options: the first is to restructure McNeill's deal, bringing his 2026 cap hit down to $11.8 million and adding the void year to the end of the contract. On the other hand, Detroit could choose to do nothing and ride out the 2026 season with McNeill at this number before revisiting his future in 2027, when a potential release wouldn't be as impactful to the team's bottom line.
There is no way that a max restructure should be on the table at this time, further limiting the options the Lions have here with the veteran defender. When healthy, the former NC State standout has proven he can contribute to winning. Fans in Detroit want to see more consistency moving forward than they have over the last three seasons, as his statistics have dropped each year since 2023.