Lions restructure contracts for St. Brown, Sewell

The Lions are retaining “all” of last year’s play-calling verbiage, and “it was on Drew Petzing to learn the offense,” not the other way around. Goff apparently “had as much of a hand in getting Petzing familiar with the offense as the offensive staff did.” Mays believes these developments speak to the command, agency and autonomy that Goff possesses at this stage in his career. We agree. For those who were concerned about the Lions scrapping the tactics that coach Dan Campbell employed as the Lions’ play caller in Weeks 10-18 last year, it sounds like those concepts aren’t going anywhere. Will Petzing be allowed to add his own elements to that playbook? Yes, we assume so. At the end of the day, this year’s offense could look a lot like last year’s fantasy-friendly unit, though. Draft accordingly.

Sewell logged more than 500 offensive snaps at left tackle and right tackle in his 2021 rookie season, earning a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie Team along the way. The Lions then put him at the right tackle spot in 2022 and he has remained there over the past four years, earning four Pro Bowl nods and three first-team All-Pro spots. His quick transition to the left side is not surprising.

Rumors around Sewell possibly moving to left tackle kicked up after it was rumored that Taylor Decker was considering retirement. Decker has since been released, and with the team’s decision to move on from him comes the likelihood that Sewell, a three-time First-team All-Pro, will move to the left side of the line this upcoming season. Sewell played left tackle at Oregon before being drafted by the Lions, but has spent his entire career at right tackle with Decker occupying the LT slot. While the change isn’t set in stone, it sounds like Campbell expects it to come by the time camp rolls around, if not sooner.

This will be the sixth regular season NFL game played in Germany as part of the league’s international series. It will feature Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, a German-American and the centerpiece of the Detroit offense. Last year St. Brown was fifth in receiving yards and fourth in wideout receptions. The Lions will be looking to bounce back from a relatively disappointing 2025 campaign after losing OC Ben Johnson to the Bears.

Decker spoke with reporters post-game, breaking the news that he may have played his final down in the NFL. The 31-year-old left tackle expressed a desire to focus on fatherhood after an injury-impacted 10th professional season. Decker played through a shoulder injury for much of the year and is physically unable to play catch with his young son at this time. Decker signed a three-year, $60 million extension in 2024, keeping him under contract through 2027. Were Decker to retire, Lions RT Penei Sewell, 25, would likely move over to the left side of the line. Decker earned Pro Bowl honors in 2024. Sewell is a four-time defending Pro Bowl player and earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2023 and 2024.

St. Brown made good on a lofty draft ADP entering the 2025 regular season, finishing as the overall WR4 in both total PPR points and points per game, behind only Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Ja’Marr Chase. He brought one of the most consistent weekly floors while also contributing three games of 29.9 PPR points or more, peaking with a 41.4-point eruption in the first week of fantasy playoffs in Week 15. St. Brown amassed a sparkling 1,401 yards on 117 receptions while adding 11 touchdowns, marking the third consecutive season with at least 1,263 yards and 10 scores. Continue treating St. Brown as a locked-in WR1 ahead of his sixth professional season.

The Lions are dealing with numerous illnesses as they prepare to cap off a disappointing 2025 regular season against the divisional rival Bears. Add that to the absence of one of the best young tackles in the league and the Lions could struggle with pressure in the backfield against an aggressive Chicago defensive front.

Dan Campbell said that St. Brown is trending towards playing earlier today. He should be considered on the optimistic side of questionable. He’s on the WR1 line in fantasy leagues that are still going in Week 18, but could be at risk of sitting later in the game if things get out of hand in one way or the other as the Lions have nothing to play for.

He’s out, and the Lions made Giovanni Manu (knee), Christian Mahogany (illness), Kayode Awosika (illness) and Taylor Decker (shoulder/illness rest) questionable as well. Keeping Jared Goff upright could be a challenge for the Lions in Week 18 with that much of their offensive line on the injury report, even if the questionable tags play. Sewell ends his age-25 season with a career-high 95.0 PFF offensive grade in 998 offensive snaps. He will be desperately missed in Week 18.

St. Brown was limited in Thursday’s practice and figures to be out there on the practice field again Friday given Campbell’s comments. The 26-year-old wide receiver is as tough as they come, which he showed earlier in the season as he played through an ankle sprain against the Cowboys. While the game against the Bears means nothing for the Lions, who’ve already been eliminated from the playoffs, St. Brown is hyper-aware of what his statistics mean in the grand scheme of things. While St. Brown has already secured a Pro Bowl nod this year, surely he wants to have a big game in hopes of making the All-Pro team as well. While it’s possible the Lions shut him down in the second half, expect St. Brown to be involved heavily early in this one.