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Lions Want To Extend Aidan Hutchinson, Kerby Joseph

April 3rd, 2025 at 1:00pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Lions hit on two defensive playmakers in the 2022 draft, selecting edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson with the second overall pick and safety Kerby Joseph in the third round.

Both players are extension-eligible as they enter the fourth year of their rookie contracts, and Detroit is determined to lock them down for the long-term. Neither will be cheap.

Hutchinson racked up 7.5 sacks in his first five games last season before suffering a brutal leg injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season. He was on pace to break the NFL’s single-season sack record and an early frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year before he went down. Hutchinson was trying to return to the field if the Lions made the Super Bowl, but their divisional round loss to the Commanders ended any chance of a comeback last season. He is expected to participate in offseason workouts in the next few months, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Barring any setbacks, Hutchinson should ready for Week 1 of the 2025 season.

Despite the injury, Hutchinson’s value has only gone up in recent months with Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett signing lucrative extensions. Garrett reached $40MM per year on his deal, which could be surpassed by Micah Parsons‘ extension with the Cowboys.

Lions general manager Brad Holmes acknowledged the exploding market for premier edge rushers during league meetings in Florida.

“We had it in that range, kind of already, when we do our future planning and budgeting,” he said (via Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network). “But then obviously, when it goes up, it just goes up, and that’s just what you gotta prepare for. I don’t know what it’ll end up being. That’s the difficult part about our job, but we work really hard in terms of the prediction forecasting of that market. He’s just one of many that we’ve had to budget.”

Hutchinson is already one of the league’s premier pass rushers at just 24 years old. He could push for the highest APY of any non-quarterback, in which case the Lions would be wise to get the deal done quickly. Hutchinson has a $11.4MM cap hit in 2025 with a $20.9MM fifth-year option that the team is expected to pick up, per OverTheCap. Even if Hutchinson eclipses $40MM per year on his extension, his contract will grow more affordable with time due to increases in the salary cap and the edge rusher market.

Joseph will similarly be looking to take advantage of a strong 2024 and a rising safety market. He led the NFL with nine interceptions last season and 17 since 2022. Antoine Winfield reset the safety market last offseason with a $21.025MM APY, but Joseph may also consider a massive increase in cornerback pay as he negotiates his extension.

“He’s a player that we want to keep and, you know, we’ve let that be known,” said Holmes of Joseph, per Rogers. “He’s a fit for us, for our team. He’s a really good player, but in terms of the timing, you know, we’ll just kind of see where it goes.”

Joseph owed a $3.6MM salary in 2025 after reaching the second level of the NFL’s Proven Performance Escalator, per OverTheCap. An extension could reduce his 2025 cap hit by $2.04MM.

Lions Likely To Exercise WR Jameson Williams’ Fifth-Year Option

March 31st, 2025 at 4:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jameson Williams‘ time with the Lions has seen a number of ups and downs to date. A decision will need to made regarding his 2026 fifth-year option this spring, and the team is leaning toward picking it up.

“Look, it’s heading that way that we are most likely gonna be doing that,” Lions general manager Brad Holmes said Monday at the league meetings (via ESPN’s Eric Woodyard). “He was a tremendous player for us last year.”

Indeed, Williams set new career highs across the board in 2024. The 24-year-old posted seven touchdowns on 58 receptions, averaging a strong 17.3 yards per catch average. He will be counted on to remain one of the league’s top vertical threats for the next two seasons provided his option is picked up.

Williams was limited to six games during his rookie season as he rehabbed an ACL tear. The Alabama product was then suspended for the beginning of the 2023 campaign, and he made only 12 appearances that year. Given his lack of playing time, Williams thus qualifies for the basic (that is, least lucrative) tier with respect to option compensation. He will be in line for $15.49MM in 2026 presuming the Lions choose to keep him in place for that season.

Detroit traded up in the first round of the 2022 draft to select Williams, and as such he entered the league with high expectations. He delivered to a large extent this past campaign, but his gambling and PED suspensions have represented off-the-field obstacles. The same looked to be true at one point regarding the October gun incident Williams was involved in, but he will not faces charges or a suspension as a result of it.

Detroit already has Amon-Ra St. Brown attached to a deal averaging just over $30MM per season, and the two-time All-Pro is set to remain the focal point of the team’s passing attack moving forward. The Lions’ future extension plans will include the likes of edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson and safety Kerby Joseph, Holmes noted. For that reason, a push for a long-term Williams commitment would come as a surprise at this point. For at least the 2026 campaign, though, he will likely be in the fold.

DL John Cominsky Retires

March 31st, 2025 at 3:34pm CST by Adam La Rose

John Cominsky was unavailable due to injury throughout the 2024 campaign, and he will not be back on the field in the future. The veteran defensive lineman announced his retirement on Monday.

“After six years in the NFL, I am officially medically retiring,” Cominsky’s announcement reads in part. “I am proud of the career I had, but have accumulated a combination of injuries that are overwhelming my desire to continue playing…. I walk away with my family in mind and therefore, have found peace in this difficult decision.”

The 29-year-old began his career with the Falcons, playing with them from 2019-21. Cominsky made 27 appearances over that span, but he only registered one start and was never able to manage a full campaign. Despite having one season left on his rookie deal, the former fourth-rounder was waived in the spring of 2022.

Considerable interest was shown on the waiver wire, and the Lions wound up acquiring him. Cominsky took on a much larger workload during his debut campaign in the Motor City, logging eight starts and a 60% snap share. Having established himself as a first-team contributor, the Charleston product re-signed with the Lions on a two-year, $8.5MM pact that offseason. Cominsky made a career-high 16 appearances in 2023, notching a new personal high with 36 tackles and adding a pair of sacks (after recording four the previous season).

Expectations were high as a result ahead of this past campaign. A summer MCL tear kept Cominsky sidelined, however, and by December it was clear he was one of many Lions defenders who were not seen as a candidate to return later in the campaign. Now, Detroit will move forward knowing Cominsky will not be a 2025 contributor along the D-line.

A veteran of 60 combined regular and postseason games, Cominsky will turn his attention to his post-playing days. He exists the NFL with just over $10MM in career earnings.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/28/25

March 28th, 2025 at 7:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

Friday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Welch has played 72 games in the NFL, with much of his tenure taking place with the Ravens. The 26-year-old saw time with Baltimore and Denver last season, but in 2023 he played for the Packers. This reunion will give Green Bay depth at the second level of the defense along with a familiar face on special teams.

Lions Sign Avonte Maddox

March 21st, 2025 at 1:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

Avonte Maddox‘s time with the Eagles has come to an end. The veteran defensive back has agreed to a one-year deal with the Lions, his agent announced on Friday.

Maddox joined the Eagles in 2018, and he quickly emerged as a key member of their secondary. The former fourth-rounder handled a snap share between 65% and 75% in each of his first five Philadelphia campaigns. Things took a turn for the worse during the 2023 season, however.

A torn pectoral muscle limited Maddox to just four games that year. Despite one season remaining on his contract, the Eagles released him in cost-shedding move last March as a result. Team and player wound up reuniting, though, and that pact allowed the Pitt alum to play one more campaign as an Eagle. Maddox played in every game for Philadelphia en route to the team’s Super Bowl victory.

That included only three starts on defense, however, and Maddox’s 33% snap share represented by far the lowest mark of his career. Second-round rookie Cooper DeJean took over starting duties in the slot midway through the campaign, a move which left Maddox to shift his attention more to special teams duties. Fellow standout rookie Quinyon Mitchell will be a mainstay along the perimeter for years to come, although Darius Slay‘s release and subsequent departure has created a first-team vacancy. Maddox’s absence will also be felt in the secondary next year.

The Lions lost Carlton Davis on the open market but brought in D.J. Reed as a starting replacement. The team also has recent draftees Terrion Arnold and Brian Branch in place as long-term pieces in the secondary. Maddox has seen some time at safety in his career, but with Branch and Kerby Joseph set to continue starting there, his best path to playing time in Detroit will likely be as a slot corner.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/20/25

March 20th, 2025 at 6:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Thursday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Pittsburgh Steelers

Lions To Sign CB Rock Ya-Sin

March 20th, 2025 at 1:47pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Lions are signing cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Ya-Sin spent the 2024 season with the 49ers, appearing in 13 games with a majority of his snaps on special teams. He was targeted three times on defense, allowing a three-yard touchdown and breaking up the other two passes. He will provide experience and depth to a Lions defense that already added D.J. Reed earlier this month.

Ya-Sin is a six-year veteran who began his career as a 2019 second-rounder selected by the Colts. He started 29 games over his first three seasons before being traded to the Raiders for Yannick Ngakoue in 2022.

Ya-Sin started nine games in silver and black before landing on injured reserve. He then signed a one-year, $4MM deal with the Ravens in 2023 and played a rotational role on defense and special teams.

The veteran signings will round out a Detroit secondary that added cornerbacks with their first two picks in the 2024 draft. First-rounder Terrion Arnold started 15 games, while second-rounder Ennis Rakestraw mostly played special teams before an injury in November forced him onto the IR.

NFC North Notes: Bears, Lions, Kelly, Pack

March 20th, 2025 at 10:50am CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to the Bears agreeing to re-sign Travis Homer, they considered a veteran with ties to Ryan Poles and new running backs coach Eric Bieniemy. Chicago considered Kareem Hunt in free agency, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Poles and Bieniemy were with the Chiefs when they drafted Hunt in the 2017 third round, with the current Bears GM serving as Kansas City’s college scouting director at that point. Hunt won a rushing title as a rookie and was off to a better start in 2018, when a video of him kicking a woman led to his initial Kansas City ouster. The Chiefs circled back to Hunt six years later, after an Isiah Pacheco injury, and have since re-signed him. The Bears still have Homer and Roschon Johnson behind starter D’Andre Swift, who joins Jonah Jackson in reuniting with Ben Johnson.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

  • On the subject of Jackson, he is set to play right guard next season, per the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. Jackson started four seasons at left guard in Detroit, but he will end up deferring to Joe Thuney, who landed as the All-Pro first team’s left guard in back-to-back seasons. The older of the Bears’ two guard trade pickups is in a contract year, Thuney gave no clues about a potential extension (via ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin). Keeping with the reunion theme, Thuney signed with the Chiefs when Poles was still on Brett Veach‘s staff.
  • Losing durable veteran Kevin Zeitler to the Titans, the Lions appear in need at guard. Graham Glasgow remains, but the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett expects the team to add another starter-level option at the position. This could come in free agency or the draft. A few free agency options are available. Brandon Scherff, Dalton Risner, Cody Whitehair, Will Hernandez and Andrus Peat are among the top veteran options. Teven Jenkins is the leader in this clubhouse right now, and it will be interesting to see where the three-year Bears starter lands. Early in free agency, Jenkins had set a high price. Christian Mahogany, a 2024 sixth-round pick, looks to be in position to still compete for the job Zeitler held last season, Birkett adds.
  • The Vikings paid a high price for Will Fries but landed ex-Colts center Ryan Kelly on a mid-market deal. Kelly agreed to a two-year, $18MM contract that comes with $9.15MM guaranteed. No part of Kelly’s $7.89MM 2026 base salary is guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes, giving Minnesota some flexibility on the soon-to-be 32-year-old center. The Vikings would carry no dead money if they cut Kelly next year. Elsewhere on Minnesota’s cap sheet, DB Tavierre Thomas‘ deal comes in at one year and $2MM, Wilson adds. The former Browns, Texans and Buccaneers defender commanded a $1MM guarantee.
  • Marcus Davenport‘s second shot at becoming a regular Lions contributor will include a pay cut. Reported as signing a deal worth up to $4.75MM, Davenport will be tied to $2.5MM in base value, via OverTheCap. Of that total, $1.65MM is guaranteed. The Lions are guaranteeing Davenport’s $1.35MM base salary, per Wilson, which would leave them with a near-$2MM dead money hit if they moved on. Davenport has missed 28 games over the past two seasons. Roy Lopez‘s “up to” report checked in at $4.75MM; the actual value of the Lions DT’s contract (via Wilson): $3.5MM.
  • The Lions also brought in former Bills tight end Quintin Morris on a free agency visit this week, FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes. Buffalo did not tender Morris as an RFA, passing on a $3.26MM price to retain its primary blocking tight end. The Lions matched a 49ers RFA offer sheet for Brock Wright last year; two years remain on Wright’s deal. Morris, 26, played 214 offensive snaps for the Bills last season.
  • Isaiah McDuffie‘s two-year, $8MM Packers pact does not bring any 2026 guarantees, though ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky indicates it carries a $750K roster bonus next year. Guaranteeing the 2024 linebacker starter $2.25MM, the Packers can move on for barely $1MM in dead money after the 2025 season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/19/25

March 19th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Detroit Lions

Kansas City Chiefs

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Al-Quadin Muhammad is inking a one-year deal to return to Detroit, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The defensive lineman got into nine games (two starts) for the Lions last season, collecting 11 tackles and three sacks while appearing in about 40 percent of his team’s defensive snaps.

Muhammad didn’t get into a game during the 2023 campaign. He spent the first part of the season on the Colts practice squad, and he was later suspended for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. Prior to his lost 2023 season, the lineman got into games with the Saints, Colts, and Bears, collecting 12 sacks across six NFL seasons.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/18/25

March 18th, 2025 at 8:32pm CST by Ely Allen

Tuesday’s minor transactions:

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Clapp returns to the Big Easy after three seasons away from the team. Clapp has enjoyed more opportunities to start with the Chargers and Bills over the past three years after only starting seven of 34 game appearances in New Orleans. He’ll likely serve as a reliable backup to Erik McCoy who has missed 19 games in the last four seasons, including 10 last year.

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