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Amon-Ra St. Brown

Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown Suffered Serious Oblique Injury In 2023

July 13th, 2024 at 9:54am CST by Ben Levine

Amon-Ra St. Brown took his production to another level in 2023. After finishing the 2022 campaign with 1,256 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns, the Lions wideout completed the 2023 season with 1,539 yards and 10 scores. This performance helped earn him both a first-team All-Pro nod and a lucrative four-year, $120MM extension from Detroit.

While everything seemingly went St. Brown’s way in 2023, the former fourth-round pick revealed on the recent Netflix Receiver series that he dealt with serious injury issues throughout last season. This included tearing his oblique “completely off the bone,” as passed along by Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com.

The injuries started popping up in Week 2, when St. Brown suffered a toe issue against the Seahawks. He was still in the lineup for Week 3, finishing with nine catches for 102 yards, but the wideout revealed that he suffered an oblique injury in that contest that he initially believed was a simple hip pointer.

“I’ve had a hip pointer before, so I thought it was a hip pointer,” St. Brown said (via Alper). “Maybe it’s just a little bruise. And I’m like, ‘Damn, my toe’s still hurting at this point. Now I have this oblique injury.’”

Despite describing his pain as eight or a nine out of 10 heading into Week 4, the wideout still showed up against the Packers, collecting 56 yards and a touchdown. A subsequent MRI revealed the true extent of his oblique injury, forcing St. Brown to miss his team’s Week 5 win over the Panthers. The receiver returned in Week 6 and proceeded to top 100 receiving yards in four-straight games, and he appeared in at least 85 percent of his team’s offensive snaps in all but two games down the stretch.

The Lions have a lot more money invested in St. Brown heading into the 2024 campaign, and with the organization having established themselves as one of the NFC’s true contenders, the team may not be as eager to have their star play through injuries. Of course, that will be easier said than done in 2024, especially with Josh Reynolds no longer around. The offense will be relying more on Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond next season, so the Lions may find it difficult to keep the offense rolling if their top receiver is sidelined.

Lions, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown Agree On Extension

April 24th, 2024 at 5:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:25pm: St. Brown will collect $35.28MM fully guaranteed at signing, as detailed by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. That figure includes a $16.5MM signing bonus and guaranteed base salaries in 2024 and ’25. St. Brown’s salary in 2026 is set at $27.5MM, and it will shift to a full guarantee next year. Likewise, much of his 2027 salary ($23.37MM) will be guaranteed by 2026.

St. Brown’s cap hit will check in at $4.86MM this season, per Over the Cap. It will jump to $13.9MM next year before ranging between $28.9MM and $41MM after that. One void year is present in the deal.

10:51am: One of the Lions’ top extension tasks is now complete. The defending NFC North champions have a deal in place with Amon-Ra St. Brown, who is set to become the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver.

St. Brown agreed to terms on a four-year extension NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports is worth more than $120MM. Of that total, $77MM is guaranteed. This deal will lock St. Brown down through the 2028 season.

[RELATED: Lions, Jared Goff Begin Extension Talks]

The guarantees at signing are not yet known, but the AAV eclipsing $30MM will make St. Brown the clubhouse leader at wide receiver. Tyreek Hill‘s $30MM-per-year Dolphins extension stood as the top WR payment for two years, but in an offseason in which Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb in contract years, St. Brown now sits atop the position. In terms of total guarantees, St. Brown’s $77MM surpass Cooper Kupp‘s $75MM.

The structure of this contract will be key, as it took lofty final-year numbers to balloon Hill and Davante Adams‘ deals to their AAV places. St. Brown’s 2028 pay will assuredly be nonguaranteed, but its value will determine how well his camp did. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson adds some clarity here, noting the deal will average $28MM per year over its first three seasons. St. Brown has $14MM-plus due in injury guarantees in 2026; those will likely convert to full guarantees in either 2025 or ’26.

Regardless of how this deal is structured, St. Brown has done remarkably well for himself. The USC product entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick in 2021. Being a positional salary leader represents the value he has brought to the Lions over the past three seasons.

Famously able to name every wideout chosen in front of him in the 2021 draft, St. Brown has shown improvement in each of the past two seasons. After a 912-yard rookie year, the former 112th overall pick posted a 1,161-yard 2022 season. Helping the Lions secure their first division title since 1993, St. Brown delivered his best work last season. The 6-foot wideout totaled 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns, firmly entrenching himself as one of the NFL’s best wide receivers. The Lions have rewarded him for the early-career production.

A March report placed the likely value of St. Brown’s second contract between $26-$28MM per year. Bettering that — should the final numbers support the above-referenced WR AAV record — serves as a reflection of the 24-year-old’s importance to the Lions and does well to set the stage for the Jefferson and Lamb negotiations. The league now having two $30MM-AAV wideouts will be good news for the Vikings and Cowboys stars; both should be expected to eclipse this number when the times comes. For now, though, St. Brown leads the pack.

The Lions are not strangers to authorizing megadeals for wide receivers. The team’s March 2012 extension for Calvin Johnson served as the receiver highwater mark for many years. Illustrating how times have changed around the league, that was a seven-year agreement. It also came during a period in which the salary cap was stagnating in the early years of the 2011 CBA. The 2020 CBA has brought bigger cap spikes, including this year’s record-setting rise that elevated the spending ceiling by more than $30MM. Players are increasingly agreeing to shorter-term deals, and St. Brown’s will allow him — should he stay on his rookie-contract production pace — to push for a third contract while still in his 20s.

In terms of production and accolades, St. Brown is ahead of Megatron’s pace. The Hall of Famer was 1-for-3 in 1,000-yard seasons — granted, he was part of considerably worse teams in the late 2000s — at this point in his career and did not make a Pro Bowl until Year 4. St. Brown, of course, will need to unlock another level to be mentioned in Johnson’s class. But he has become Jared Goff‘s go-to player. St. Brown joins Johnson and Herman Moore as the only Lions to produce a 1,500-yard receiving season. The 17-game schedule benefits today’s players in this area, but the Lions will be on St. Brown building on his 2023 performance.

St. Brown’s deal comes during an offseason in which a Goff extension is squarely on Detroit’s radar. Penei Sewell is also now extension-eligible; Aidan Hutchinson will be eligible for a new deal in 2025. The Lions’ roster math will change substantially this year, and this deal serves as the first domino.

Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown To Land $26MM-$28MM AAV On New Contract?

March 24th, 2024 at 10:30pm CST by Rory Parks

We heard at the end of last month that the Lions and star wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown would begin working on an extension at the Scouting Combine. ESPN’s Dan Graziano confirms that contract negotiations are indeed underway (subscription required).

Per Graziano, St. Brown’s new deal could feature an average annual value of $26MM-$28MM, which would position the former fourth-rounder near the top of the WR market as it currently stands. At present, Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill‘s $30MM AAV is tops among his peers, though that number is artificially inflated by an exorbitant ~$44MM salary in 2026 that Hill will almost certainly never see. Raiders wideout Davante Adams is next on the list with a $28MM AAV, while the Rams’ Cooper Kupp enjoys a $26.7MM AAV and also secured a WR-record $75MM in total guarantees when he signed his extension with Los Angeles in June 2022.

St. Brown, who is entering his age-25 season, clearly has an argument to be the highest-paid player at his position. The USC product has improved his production over each of his first three years in the league, and in 2023, he posted a stellar 119/1,515/10 slash line. Those totals earned him First-Team All-Pro acclaim along with the second Pro Bowl bid of his young career, and he has been one of the driving forces behind Detroit’s hugely successful rebuild.

Plus, as a non-first-round draft choice in 2021, St. Brown does not have a fifth-year option on his rookie contract, and he is therefore eligible for free agency in 2025. The Lions could of course deploy the franchise tag next offseason if they cannot work out a multiyear accord between now and then, but the tag for receivers is projected to be in the $25MM ballpark (h/t OverTheCap.com), and St. Brown’s is not the only contract that needs to be addressed. Quarterback Jared Goff is also entering the final year of his current deal and is due for a significant raise of his own, and GM Brad Holmes may also want to explore extensions for OT Penei Sewell and DT Alim McNeill.

Sewell, a 2021 first-round choice, could be retained via the fifth-year option in 2025, though McNeill was a 2021 third-rounder and will be out of contract at the end of the 2024 campaign. Nonetheless, St. Brown will clearly be a top priority, and there is seemingly no chance that Holmes will allow him to sniff the open market, even if he has to pony up an historic contract to keep him in Honolulu blue.

In order to create some salary cap breathing room, at least in the short-term, the Lions restructured the contract of recently-acquired cornerback Carlton Davis, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com reports. The move frees up $4.5MM of cap space in 2024, though as Justin Rogers of the Detroit News observes, that additional flexibility was created via three void years. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 passes along the full details.

Of course, the Lions could also recoup additional spending power as a result of the unfortunate Cameron Sutton situation.

Lions, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown To Discuss Extension

February 29th, 2024 at 4:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions have a number of key members of this year’s run to the NFC title game eligible for an extension. That list includes wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, who is on the team’s radar for a new deal.

The Lions plan on working out an extension with St. Brown this offseason, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports. The sides will meet at this week’s Combine, he adds. No agreement is imminent at this time, but a second contract will no doubt be an expensive endeavor.

St. Brown entered the league with considerably lower expectations than a number of his 2021 draft classmates at the receiver position. In three seasons with Detroit, however, he has posted the most receptions amongst wideouts taken in that year. He ranks second in yards and touchdowns behind only Ja’Marr Chase, and has established himself as an instrumental member of Detroit’s offense.

The former fourth-rounder has improved his production with each passing season, and in 2023 he posted a stellar 119-1,1515-10 statline. Those totals earned him a second Pro Bowl invite and first-team All-Pro honors. With a fifth-year option unavailable due to his being selected outside the first round, St. Brown is on track to reach free agency next offseason. Avoiding that represents an obvious priority for the Lions as they aim to build off this year’s success. St. Brown could join Chase and 2020 draftee Justin Jefferson in securing a monster extension in the near future.

Tyreek Hill currently tops the receiver market at an AAV of $30MM, and three other wideouts currently average at least $25MM per season. Pacts signed this year could send the top of the market to new heights, something St. Brown would be in line to benefit from. The 24-year-old should be expected to remain a major factor in Detroit’s offense even with Jameson Williams in place and tight end Sam LaPorta and running back Jahmyr Gibbs each having delivered impressive rookie seasons in the pass-catching department.

The Lions have a Jared Goff extension to attend to, something which could be hammered out this offseason. That will be a costly re-up, given the success the former No. 1 pick has had in the Motor City. Detroit could also use the coming months to work out second pacts for offensive tackle Penei Sewell and D-lineman Alim McNeill, both of whom are now extension-eligible. St. Brown’s case for a massive raise is strong, though, and it would come as little surprise if the team moved quickly in finalizing one.

Latest On Lions’ Wide Receiver Depth

October 7th, 2023 at 10:38am CST by Ben Levine

The Lions will welcome back an offensive weapon this weekend, but they’re expected to go against the Panthers without their top wideout. Amon-Ra St. Brown has been listed as doubtful for tomorrow’s game.

The wideout suffered an abdominal injury during Week 4 that forced him off the practice field this week. St. Brown was still seen working out with trainers on the sideline, and he stated his intent to play on Sunday. While coach Dan Campbell admitted that the team will get more clarity on the receiver’s availability before Sunday’s kickoff, the doubtful status certainly doesn’t bode well for St. Brown. For what it’s worth, the wideout was listed as questionable with a toe injury for Week 3, and he ended up playing and hauling in nine catches in a win over the Falcons.

Through four weeks, the third-year wideout leads the Lions with 26 receptions and 331 receiving yards while also hauling in a pair of touchdowns. The former fourth-round pick has been a major part of Detroit’s offense since he entered the league, hauling in 196 catches for 2,073 yards and 11 touchdowns between the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

While St. Brown will surely be missed this weekend, the Lions can at least look forward to former first-round WR Jameson Williams making his season debut. Williams was one of four Lions players to be hit with a suspension stemming from the NFL’s gambling crackdown. While it was initially announced that Williams would miss six games, his suspension was lifted earlier this week.

Despite suffering a torn ACL during the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship, the Lions still selected Williams with the 12th-overall pick in the 2022 draft. The receiver was activated to the roster in early December and got into six games down the stretch, hauling in only one of his nine targets (for a 41-yard touchdown, no less). Campbell said it’d be unrealistic to expect 60-plus snaps from Williams this weekend, and the receiver also acknowledged that it might take some time to work himself back into the mix.

“It’s just a process,” (via Tim Twentyman of the team’s website). “Whatever Ben (Johnson) has going for me we’re going to get in and execute and have a good time. We’re just looking forward to keeping winning, you know? We are 3-1 right now and hopefully we can keep the season going. I’m just trying to win. I’m just trying to keep that going.”

Josh Reynolds is expected to lead the WR depth chart tomorrow, with Williams, veteran Marvin Jones, Kalif Raymond, and rookie seventh-round pick Antoine Green also in the mix.

Lions Rumors: Oruwariye, Brockers, R. Okwara

October 23rd, 2022 at 8:28pm CST by Rory Parks

Just a few months ago, Lions cornerback Amani Oruwariye was reportedly in line for a lucrative contract extension, or perhaps a notable free agent contract next offseason. To say that Oruwariye’s stock has dropped since those reports surfaced would be an understatement.

Oruwariye has struggled mightily in 2022, and he was benched for Detroit’s Week 5 loss to the Patriots. He returned to the field for the team’s Week 7 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday — the Lions had a Week 6 bye — but a player that entered the season looking like a potential defensive cornerstone is now a trade candidate, as Justin Rogers of the Detroit News opines.

For what it’s worth, head coach Dan Campbell does not believe that Oruwariye’s uncertain contract situation has impacted his performance (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press), though the return of Jerry Jacobs — who was activated from the PUP list this week and who made his 2022 debut against Dallas — could make Oruwariye more expendable. Rogers believes the Lions would look for a fourth- or fifth-round pick if they seek to trade the Penn State product.

Here are a few more Detroit-related items:

  • Like Oruwariye in Week 5, Michael Brockers was a healthy scratch for the Lions’ Week 7 contest against the Cowboys, as Kyle Meinke of MLive.com notes. The 31-year-old D-lineman had started each of the club’s previous five games, but he appeared in just 11 snaps in the New England matchup several weeks ago, and he has a grand total of two quarterback hits in 21 starts for Detroit over the past two years. Brockers is under club control through 2023, though the team can save $10MM against the cap if it releases him at year’s end. At this point, a release appears inevitable.
  • Edge rusher Romeo Okwara suffered a torn Achilles last October, which ended his 2021 season after just four games, and he has been parked on the PUP list since July. He has been eligible to return for several weeks now, but Rogers says the Lions have given no indication that Okwara is ready to practice. Even if Okwara gets back on the field this year and performs as he did during his 10-sack 2020 campaign, Rogers believes the team may not retain him after the season is over. A release would create $7.5MM in cap room, and the team’s draft position and the development of players like second-round rookie Josh Paschal will factor into GM Brad Holmes‘ decision-making process.
  • The Lions continue to be without first-round rookie Jameson Williams, and fellow wideout DJ Chark was recently placed on IR. Detroit’s WR group was further depleted on Sunday, as second-year pro Amon-Ra St. Brown took a hit to the head in the Dallas game and was immediately ruled out for the remainder of the contest pursuant to the new concussion protocol provisions (Twitter link via Rogers). His status for the Lions’ Week 8 game against the Dolphins will obviously be up in the air.
  • In addition to Oruwariye, Rogers names DL Austin Bryant, C Evan Brown, and LB Chris Board as potential trade candidates. The 1-5 Lions profile as sellers as we approach the November 1 trade deadline.

Lions RB D’Andre Swift, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown Ruled Out For Sunday

September 30th, 2022 at 8:38pm CST by Ely Allen

The Lions offense continues to get bitten by injuries as two key offensive players were officially ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The team will attempt to catch up to the rest of the NFC North without running back D’Andre Swift and second-year wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. 

Swift started off the season with a bang. During the team’s season-opening loss to the Eagles, Swift carried the ball 15 times for 144 yards and a touchdown. Since then, some different ailments seem to have slowed Swift down as he’s only had 12 carries for 87 yards in the past two weeks while playing less than half of the team’s offensive snaps during that time frame. Head coach Dan Campbell has suggested that Swift could be out through the team’s bye week, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Swift would only miss the Lions’ next two games in that scenario.

Luckily for Detroit, they roster one of the league’s more experienced backup running backs in Jamaal Williams. In the past two games which saw a lower usage of Swift, Williams had 32 carries for 140 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers are also while playing fewer than half of the team’s offensive snaps. With Swift out, Williams should have an opportunity to really take the running game over.

Many called for a breakout sophomore season for St. Brown and, so far, he has delivered. After the first three weeks of the season, St. Brown leads the team in receiving yards with 253. He also ranks in the top-ten of league receivers in receptions (6th with 23), receiving touchdowns (2nd with 3), and receiving yards per game (10th with 84.3). St. Brown has been a dominant favorite target for quarterback Jared Goff and his absence should be a cause for concern.

His absence is even more of a concern since his fellow starting receivers, DJ Chark and Josh Reynolds, were both limited in practice this week with ankle injuries. Both Chark and Reynolds are listed as questionable going into the weekend. With St. Brown out and rookie first-round pick Jameson Williams still awaiting his rookie debut while recovering from a torn ACL, losing Chark and Reynolds would leave Detroit with only Kalif Raymond and Quintez Cephus as healthy pass-catchers. In the unlikely event that Raymond and Cephus are the only two healthy receivers for Week 4, the Lions will likely be forced to use their two practice squad call-ups on any of Tom Kennedy, former USFL-star Maurice Alexander, and undrafted rookie Josh Johnson.

Regardless, of the availability of Chark and Reynolds, the losses of Swift and St. Brown are daunting. The two-game stretch that Detroit could be without Swift consists of two opponents with identical 1-2 records. It’s hard to say that those win-loss totals mean much this early in the season, but the Lions will certainly hope that this is a softer section of their schedule where they’ll potentially be without their lead rusher and receiver.