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The Detroit Lions finished the 2025 NFL season more than $4 million under the salary cap, and the salary cap for 2026 has risen by about $22 million per team.
So that means the Lions are in a better salary cap situation for 2026, right?
Not exactly. At least not right now.
The NFL announced Friday, Feb. 27, that the salary cap will rise from $279.2 million in 2025 to $301.2 million in 2026, just under an 8% rise year-over-year. That's good news for Detroit since many of its top players will be owed more money in 2026. But it's not enough to get the Lions under the cap at this moment.
According to OverTheCap, the Lions are currently $12.2 million over the salary cap, which is the fourth-highest mark in the league, behind only the Dallas Cowboys ($56.1 million over the cap), Minnesota Vikings ($45.5 million) and Jacksonville Jaguars ($15.9 million). That means the Lions have to shed at least $12.2 million off their payroll by 4 p.m. ET March 11 to be in compliance with NFL rules for the start of the 2026 league year.
But how exactly did the team's salary obligations jump so much? And what can the Lions do to get under the cap?
Here's a quick guide.
The Lions payroll jumped from about $286 million at the end of 2025 to around $324 million mostly because some key players will be owed more money in the upcoming season. The Lion with the biggest salary increase in 2025-26 is quarterback Jared Goff, whose base salary jumps from $18 million to $55 million. But he isn't the only one getting a pay rise.
Edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson is seeing his guaranteed money ris,e from $5.5 million in 2025 to $29.6 million in 2026. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is seeing his pay more than triple, from $8.3 million in 2025 to $27.5 million in 2026. And offensive tackle Penei Sewell is cashing in, going from a $1.5 million base salary in 2025 to $19.9 million in 2026.
Those are arguably the three most important players on the team, and the Lions are probably very happy to be paying them those salaries next season. But can the Lions still get under the cap while maintaining a competitive roster even when those salaries are inflating so much?
That question has yet to be answered, but Detroit has a few ways of getting under the cap in the meantime.
The two biggest ways the Lions could save money is by either cutting players or restructuring contracts, but one of these ways makes a lot more sense than the other in many instances.
Cutting players seems like a straightforward way to cutting salary, but because of NFL salary cap rules surrounding cuts before June 1, it's not as practical a move as it might seem. For example, if the Lions cut Goff tomorrow – we're using the most absurd example possible here to illustrate a point – they would actually lose nearly $30 million in cap space as all the money owed to their franchise quarterback until 2028 snaps back into this league year.
The Lions could use a post-June 1 cut designation, which allows the team to cut two players right now and still reap the savings of a post-June 1 cut. But those cuts still wouldn't allow the team to come under the cap by March 11 since they would still have to carry the two cut players through June.
There are players the Lions could cut before March 11 to improve their cap situation, such as safety Brian Branch ($5.7 million in cap savings) or running back David Montgomery ($3.5 million), but they could potentially save more money by cutting those players after June 1, if they get under the salary cap beforehand.
The more likely way the Lions save money before March is by restructuring current contracts.
The simplest way this can be done is by converting some base salary into a signing bonus, which allows the player to still get paid while the team's cap hit is delayed for later years. It's a win-win for the team and player, as long as the player is willing to get paid in a different way.
The third and least likely way to cut salary is through player retirements, which is still somewhat on the table for the Lions this season.
Offensive tackle Taylor Decker is set to make $14.9 million in base salary for 2026, and the Lions likely could have saved quite a bit of that if Decker had decided to retire. But Decker has announced he is coming back for his 11th season, which means the Lions will likely pay him that money, in some form.
Detroit is still waiting on a retirement decision from offensive guard Graham Glasgow, however. The $6.5 million Glasgow is owed in 2026 is a much lower figure than Decker's guaranteed money, but could make a significant dent if Glasgow retires or the Lions restructure his contract.
But if that decision comes after March 11, the savings won't apply to the Lions getting under the salary cap before the deadline.
A fourth way the Lions could save money is by trading players for salary relief, but the most expensive players on the Lions roster are also arguably the most essential for the team's Super Bowl aspirations in 2026. In other words, don't hold your breath for the Lions to make a big-time trade just to get under the cap before March 11.
There are two Lions players in line for big contract extensions next season: running back Jahmyr Gibbs and linebacker Jack Campbell.
Gibbs was named to his third-straight Pro Bowl team after amassing over 1,800 total yards from scrimmage with 18 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns. Campbell, meanwhile, was named a first-team All-Pro after leading the Lions with 176 combined tackles in 2025.
Both are players the Lions will likely want to re-sign before their rookie contracts expire after 2026, though they won't come cheaply. If the team wants to make room in the budget for both players, that might mean a smaller budget for free agent signings ahead of 2026, which could limit how much the team can improve its current roster.
Basically, you shouldn't be too surprised if the 2026 Lions look a lot like the 2025 Lions, with a few changes along the fringes.
Based on calculations from Over The Cap, here is the Lions' cap space situation for 2026.
*Based on estimations from OTC.
Based on guaranteed money.
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You can reach Christian at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions salary cap situation
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So that means the Lions are in a better salary cap situation for 2026, right?
Not exactly. At least not right now.
The NFL announced Friday, Feb. 27, that the salary cap will rise from $279.2 million in 2025 to $301.2 million in 2026, just under an 8% rise year-over-year. That's good news for Detroit since many of its top players will be owed more money in 2026. But it's not enough to get the Lions under the cap at this moment.
According to OverTheCap, the Lions are currently $12.2 million over the salary cap, which is the fourth-highest mark in the league, behind only the Dallas Cowboys ($56.1 million over the cap), Minnesota Vikings ($45.5 million) and Jacksonville Jaguars ($15.9 million). That means the Lions have to shed at least $12.2 million off their payroll by 4 p.m. ET March 11 to be in compliance with NFL rules for the start of the 2026 league year.
But how exactly did the team's salary obligations jump so much? And what can the Lions do to get under the cap?
Here's a quick guide.
Lions stars getting bigger salaries in 2026
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The Lions payroll jumped from about $286 million at the end of 2025 to around $324 million mostly because some key players will be owed more money in the upcoming season. The Lion with the biggest salary increase in 2025-26 is quarterback Jared Goff, whose base salary jumps from $18 million to $55 million. But he isn't the only one getting a pay rise.
Edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson is seeing his guaranteed money ris,e from $5.5 million in 2025 to $29.6 million in 2026. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is seeing his pay more than triple, from $8.3 million in 2025 to $27.5 million in 2026. And offensive tackle Penei Sewell is cashing in, going from a $1.5 million base salary in 2025 to $19.9 million in 2026.
Those are arguably the three most important players on the team, and the Lions are probably very happy to be paying them those salaries next season. But can the Lions still get under the cap while maintaining a competitive roster even when those salaries are inflating so much?
That question has yet to be answered, but Detroit has a few ways of getting under the cap in the meantime.
How Lions can save money in 2026
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The two biggest ways the Lions could save money is by either cutting players or restructuring contracts, but one of these ways makes a lot more sense than the other in many instances.
Cutting players seems like a straightforward way to cutting salary, but because of NFL salary cap rules surrounding cuts before June 1, it's not as practical a move as it might seem. For example, if the Lions cut Goff tomorrow – we're using the most absurd example possible here to illustrate a point – they would actually lose nearly $30 million in cap space as all the money owed to their franchise quarterback until 2028 snaps back into this league year.
The Lions could use a post-June 1 cut designation, which allows the team to cut two players right now and still reap the savings of a post-June 1 cut. But those cuts still wouldn't allow the team to come under the cap by March 11 since they would still have to carry the two cut players through June.
There are players the Lions could cut before March 11 to improve their cap situation, such as safety Brian Branch ($5.7 million in cap savings) or running back David Montgomery ($3.5 million), but they could potentially save more money by cutting those players after June 1, if they get under the salary cap beforehand.
The more likely way the Lions save money before March is by restructuring current contracts.
The simplest way this can be done is by converting some base salary into a signing bonus, which allows the player to still get paid while the team's cap hit is delayed for later years. It's a win-win for the team and player, as long as the player is willing to get paid in a different way.
The third and least likely way to cut salary is through player retirements, which is still somewhat on the table for the Lions this season.
Offensive tackle Taylor Decker is set to make $14.9 million in base salary for 2026, and the Lions likely could have saved quite a bit of that if Decker had decided to retire. But Decker has announced he is coming back for his 11th season, which means the Lions will likely pay him that money, in some form.
Detroit is still waiting on a retirement decision from offensive guard Graham Glasgow, however. The $6.5 million Glasgow is owed in 2026 is a much lower figure than Decker's guaranteed money, but could make a significant dent if Glasgow retires or the Lions restructure his contract.
But if that decision comes after March 11, the savings won't apply to the Lions getting under the salary cap before the deadline.
A fourth way the Lions could save money is by trading players for salary relief, but the most expensive players on the Lions roster are also arguably the most essential for the team's Super Bowl aspirations in 2026. In other words, don't hold your breath for the Lions to make a big-time trade just to get under the cap before March 11.
Lions looking for new deals
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There are two Lions players in line for big contract extensions next season: running back Jahmyr Gibbs and linebacker Jack Campbell.
Gibbs was named to his third-straight Pro Bowl team after amassing over 1,800 total yards from scrimmage with 18 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns. Campbell, meanwhile, was named a first-team All-Pro after leading the Lions with 176 combined tackles in 2025.
Both are players the Lions will likely want to re-sign before their rookie contracts expire after 2026, though they won't come cheaply. If the team wants to make room in the budget for both players, that might mean a smaller budget for free agent signings ahead of 2026, which could limit how much the team can improve its current roster.
Basically, you shouldn't be too surprised if the 2026 Lions look a lot like the 2025 Lions, with a few changes along the fringes.
Lions cap space for 2026
Based on calculations from Over The Cap, here is the Lions' cap space situation for 2026.
- Cap space: Minus-$12.2 million (28th in NFL).
- Effective cap space: Minus-$16.9 million (27st in NFL).*
- Active cap spending: $324.7 million (third in NFL).
- Dead money: $9.3 million (21st in NFL).
*Based on estimations from OTC.
Lions top contracts for 2026
Based on guaranteed money.
- QB Jared Goff: $55 million.
- EDGE Aidan Hutchinson: $29.6 million.
- WR Amon-Ra St. Brown: $27.5 million.
- OT Penei Sewell: $19.9 million.
- DT Alim McNeill: $19.9 million.
- CB D.J. Reed: $15 million.
- WR Jameson Williams: $13.5 million.
- S Kerby Joseph: $11.5 million.
Need to catch up on the news during your lunch break? Sign up for our Sports Briefing newsletter to get daily summaries of Detroit sports!
You can reach Christian at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions salary cap situation
Continue reading...
