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Veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone said leaving the Detroit Lions in free agency to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was strictly a financial decision on behalf of his former team.
Speaking on the Schultz Report, a YouTube show hosted by NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Anzalone said that the decision had nothing to do with his level of play and that Lions coach Dan Campbell said he wanted him back on the team.
"It didn't come back to, like, 'You weren't playing well.' It didn't come down to down to Dan saying like, 'Yeah, we want to move on.' Dan told me he wanted to come back. It didn't come down to that," said Anzalone, who joined the Buccaneers on a two-year deal after five seasons in Detroit.
"It literally just came down to finances and what they could and couldn't afford. And you know, that's kinda just the nature of the beast, it's the business."
Anzalone, 31, had been vocal about wanting a new contract going into last season, telling media that he wants to sign an extension and retire a Lion during training camp. Detroit instead signed linebacker Derrick Barnes, 26, to a three-year contract worth $25.5 million.
That, in some ways, contributed to the Lions being out of money for Anzalone this offseason. But so is the upcoming payday for linebacker Jack Campbell, a 2023 first-round pick who just finished his first All-Pro season in 2025 and is eligible to sign an extension.
"Their front office made decisions of where they wanted to invest money, and it wasn't in me, and it is what it is," Anzalone added.
Anzalone discussed some of the tough parts about leaving the organization, particularly on the family side, calling it a "grieving process." He brought his 5-year-old son, Cooper, to a recent round of golf with Barnes and Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson down in Tampa, where Cooper and Hutchinson got to say goodbye.
"At the end of it, we're leaving, and I didn't even know this happened. I didn't tell Cooper this at all. But he went up to Aidan, and was like, 'Mr. Aidan, I'm gonna miss you so much,' and gave him a hug," Anzalone said.
He added, "[Hutchinson] texted me after, he's like, he damn-near cried."
That being said, the Anzalone family — especially Cooper — seems to be taking the move in stride.
"When we first got to the golf course, Cooper ran up to Aidan and was like, 'Go Bucs.' Shooting daggers from the heart. He's moved on," Anzalone said. "He said, 'Daddy, the Lions didn't want you anymore, we're with the Bucs now. We're good.'"
[email protected]
@nolanbianchi
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Ex-Detroit Lion Alex Anzalone left for Tampa Bay for financial reasons
Continue reading...
Speaking on the Schultz Report, a YouTube show hosted by NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Anzalone said that the decision had nothing to do with his level of play and that Lions coach Dan Campbell said he wanted him back on the team.
"It didn't come back to, like, 'You weren't playing well.' It didn't come down to down to Dan saying like, 'Yeah, we want to move on.' Dan told me he wanted to come back. It didn't come down to that," said Anzalone, who joined the Buccaneers on a two-year deal after five seasons in Detroit.
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"It literally just came down to finances and what they could and couldn't afford. And you know, that's kinda just the nature of the beast, it's the business."
Anzalone, 31, had been vocal about wanting a new contract going into last season, telling media that he wants to sign an extension and retire a Lion during training camp. Detroit instead signed linebacker Derrick Barnes, 26, to a three-year contract worth $25.5 million.
That, in some ways, contributed to the Lions being out of money for Anzalone this offseason. But so is the upcoming payday for linebacker Jack Campbell, a 2023 first-round pick who just finished his first All-Pro season in 2025 and is eligible to sign an extension.
"Their front office made decisions of where they wanted to invest money, and it wasn't in me, and it is what it is," Anzalone added.
Anzalone discussed some of the tough parts about leaving the organization, particularly on the family side, calling it a "grieving process." He brought his 5-year-old son, Cooper, to a recent round of golf with Barnes and Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson down in Tampa, where Cooper and Hutchinson got to say goodbye.
"At the end of it, we're leaving, and I didn't even know this happened. I didn't tell Cooper this at all. But he went up to Aidan, and was like, 'Mr. Aidan, I'm gonna miss you so much,' and gave him a hug," Anzalone said.
He added, "[Hutchinson] texted me after, he's like, he damn-near cried."
That being said, the Anzalone family — especially Cooper — seems to be taking the move in stride.
"When we first got to the golf course, Cooper ran up to Aidan and was like, 'Go Bucs.' Shooting daggers from the heart. He's moved on," Anzalone said. "He said, 'Daddy, the Lions didn't want you anymore, we're with the Bucs now. We're good.'"
[email protected]
@nolanbianchi
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Ex-Detroit Lion Alex Anzalone left for Tampa Bay for financial reasons
Continue reading...
