The 2025 season has not played out like many expected it to for the Detroit Lions, who find themselves at 8-6 and in possession of the NFC's eighth seed, just below their NFC North-rival Green Bay Packers for the final spot. Constant injuries have plagued the defense all season, but veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone has once again been a solid contributor each week.
While he is likely going to reach 100 tackles for the season, all signs point to him and nose tackle D.J. Reader not coming back to the Lions. Section 344 Lions on X noted that it is probably hard to justify giving Anzalone another contract when he will likely want north of the $6 million he is making now, not to mention third-year LB Jack Campbell leads the team in tackles (143) and Derrick Barnes, the team's fourth-leading tackler (65), who signed a three-year, $24 million contract extension prior to the season.
Alex Anzalone Appears to Be on His Way out of Detroit
Although most fans seem way out on him coming back, Anzalone clearly thinks he deserves good pay after the beef he had with the Lions before the 2025 season. That ultimately ended with a contract adjustment to begin the season after he had previously made his frustrations clear regarding how the negotiation process was playing out. However, the increased payout and added incentives suggest Anzalone wants a good chunk of change that Detroit is likely not willing to spend, given his age and the younger talent that is around him.
The unfortunate part for Anzalone is that he has played well this season for the banged-up defense, registering the second-most tackles (84) along with 1.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, eight passes defended and one interception. He has been a starter for the Lions since joining the franchise in 2021, logging 395 tackles, 6.5 sacks and two interceptions during his four seasons in Detroit.
Despite a secondary that continues to be tormented by injuries and the current slump that cornerback D.J. Reed is going through after returning from a hamstring injury, Anzalone is surrounded by two talented and healthy LBs in Campbell and Barnes, all three of whom have combined for 10.5 of Detroit's 39 sacks, which is good for seventh-most in the NFL. That is certainly encouraging on a defense that has faced its share of adversity this season, but it also shows that the Lions have the talent in place if they are not willing to offer Anzalone what he expects.
For a franchise that seemed to miss its Super Bowl window the last two seasons and is currently fighting for its playoff life right now, the Lions likely want to go younger and cheaper than what he wants. If that is the case, there is a good chance that Anzalone, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, will be playing elsewhere in 2026.