The Detroit Lions head into the offseason with 49 players signed, maintaining 36 from the previous year. They have re-signed three exclusive rights free agents (ERFA) and nine others from their practice squad, including a new addition from outside the team. Fans are particularly interested in how the Lions will manage their free agents, which consist of 25 unrestricted free agents (UFAs), three restricted free agents (RFAs), and one ERFA.
Analyzing roster trends under GM Brad Holmes reveals a consistent pattern over the last four offseasons.
- In 2022, the Lions extended contracts for seven of their 16 UFAs/RFAs
- In 2023, they re-signed 11 out of 21
- In 2024, they retained 13 from 26
- In 2025, 14 out of 26
If this trend continues, it’s expected that the Lions will likely re-sign about half of their upcoming UFAs and RFAs.
Although applying an RFA tender can help retain a player (e.g., Brock Wright), the increasing costs make this option less feasible each year. As per OverTheCap.com, applying an RFA tender in 2026 could cost between $3.4 million to $7.9 million, depending on the level of tender. We do not anticipate the Lions will use an RFA tender this year, hence these players will be ranked alongside UFAs.
Let’s review which Lions players fit into these categories and how we believe the team will prioritize them.
