Alex

Anzalone

Anzalone got a $250,000 pay bump, bringing his total base salary to $6.25 million. The Lions also fully guaranteed that sum and added as yet undisclosed incentives. Anzalone is scheduled to enter free agency in 2026. He had been campaigning for a long-term extension, but settled for the adjustment.

Anzalone sat out early offseason workouts and OTAs as he made it clear that he wants a new contract. The 30-year-old linebacker reported to training camp on time, but missed the first few days of practice after suffering a hamstring injury during his conditioning test. One day after Dan Campbell told reporters there’s no animosity between Anzalone and the front office and that both sides are still talking, Anzalone returned to the practice field. It remains to be seen if they’ve made any progress on a new contract, though.

A day after it was reported that Anzalone “crushed” his conditioning test, the veteran linebacker is now sidelined with a hamstring injury. Anzalone’s injury is likely closely connected to the new contract he is seeking, as his current deal is set to expire at the end of this season. The veteran linebacker totaled 63 tackles in 10 games with the Lions last season and has been a key piece of the defense since first joining the team in 2021. At some point, we would expect both sides to come to terms on a deal that gets Anzalone on the field, but the soon-to-be 31-year-old may be forced to play out the final year of his deal before securing a long-term extension.

Ragnow and linebacker Alex Anzalone were the only players not in attendance for this week’s OTAs. While Anzalone has made it clear with social media posts that he’s unhappy with his contract situation, it appears that Ragnow also wants a new deal. The 29-year-old center signed an extension in 2021 to make him the highest-paid center at the time. His current deal, which runs through the 2026 season, is just fourth in average annual value among centers and has no guaranteed money remaining. Ragnow is still at the top of his game, coming in as PPF’s highest-graded run blocking center in 2024 (90.9). Lions coach Dan Campbell downplayed the absences, mentioning that he’s been in contact with both players and that there’s still a month to go before training camp. While the Lions have handed out many extensions in the last two years, the front office is aware that a cap crunch is looming in the years ahead, which could put a strain on negotiations with veteran players like Ragnow and Anzalone.

Terms weren’t announced. The former Texans stalwart has become a journeyman, spending 2022 with the Titans, 2023 with the Eagles, and 2024 with the Broncos. He didn’t start any games in Denver last year. He’ll play a role for the Lions in camp as they deal with Alex Anzalone holding out.

While Anzalone hasn’t explicitly said he wants a new contract, it doesn’t take a genius to connect the dots here. The Lions co-captain who turns 31 in September is a notable absence from optional offseason workouts this week after making multiple references to his value to the Lions on social media. Those references include a graph of the Lions’ defensive decline in DVOA in the seven games Anzalone missed last year as well as a note about the linebacker market increasing after Nick Bolton signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the Chiefs. Detroit hasn’t been bashful about handing out extensions in recent years and Anzalone, who’s entering the last year of a three-year, $18 million contract, believes he is next in line.

Anzalone was activated from injured reserve over the weekend. He landed on IR after suffering a fractured forearm in Week 11. Per Rapoport, the Lions will monitor his snaps tonight and he will play with a special pad designed to protect his arm. Getting Anzalone back is a step in the right direction for a Detroit defense that has been plagued by injuries this season.

Anzalone suffered a broken forearm in November and was placed on injured reserve. He is one of over a dozen Lions to land on IR this year, with the bulk of them coming from the defensive side of the ball. Anzalone was limited in Wednesday’s walkthrough. Head coach Dan Campbell noted that Thursday’s practice will be telling for his Week 18 availability.

He’ll miss at least the next four weeks, but the Lions have already said that he will miss 6-8 weeks with a broken forearm. He should be able to return before the end of the season or possibly the start of the playoffs. Anzalone has a career-best 72.2 PFF coverage grade this year.

Anzalone hurt his arm while tackling Travis Etienne late in a blowout win over the Jags. He immediately grabbed his arm in pain and didn’t spend long on the sideline before being ruled out. This unfortunately appears to be a severe injury for the veteran inside linebacker.