Last year, the Lions re-signed safety Tavon Wilson to a two-year, $7 million contract. This year, the Lions have convinced Wilson to take less than the $3 million he’s still owed on that deal.
Field Yates of ESPN reports that Wilson has taken a pay cut of a little more than $1 million.
Wilson was a backup last year who played 31 percent of the Lions’ defensive snaps and 28 percent of their special teams plays.
The 29-year-old Wilson probably has a safe roster spot this season, and probably wouldn’t have made the roster without the pay cut, so he calculated that he was better off staying put, even for less money than he thought he’d be making.