Lions Projected to Be Massively Over Salary Cap in 2026

While the available cap space this year wouldn't cover all the liabilities for next season, it would provide a nice relief.

Another option for Detroit to explore is restructuring some of their big contracts. Frank Ragnow's retirement will help the organization recoup some money in cap savings, but even so there will need to be some extra maneuvering to get under the cap line for 2026.

The Lions elected to pick up the fifth-year options of Aidan Hutchinson and Jameson Williams for 2026, which means they will not have to worry about any hefty extension hitting the books in that season.

However, players such as Alex Anzalone, Kalif Raymond, DJ Reader and Amik Robertson are entering the final seasons of their respective deals and any extension they sign would take effect beginning in 2026.

As it stands, the Lions' biggest cap hits in 2026 currently belong to Jared Goff ($69.6 million), Amon-Ra St. Brown ($33.11 million) and Penei Sewell ($28 million). By restructuring some of these contracts and shifting some value to the back-end of these deals, Detroit can create some wiggle room in 2026.

While the number is imposing at this current juncture, the Lions can help themselves plenty by rolling over what they have into next season. Last season, Detroit carried over $23,732,763 in cap space to this season.

As a result, taking a good portion of the $40 million that they have available this season into next year would be a major asset to mitigate the salary cap challenges they have in the future.

Being wise with their spending the rest of the way would be extremely beneficial for a team that has several players due for big extensions on the horizon.

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