The Detroit Lions’ season is officially over. Now it’s time to start taking a look at all of the Lions’ free agents. All 34 of them. We’ll look at this in two sets.

We’ll do the group we believe is coming back and the group we believe the Lions will let walk. Let’s jump into it.

Lions free agents who are likely to be back in Detroit in 2026

DT Roy Lopez

Lopez had a great season for the Lions. He was one of those guys who made you wonder why he didn’t play more. About halfway through the year, the Lions realized what they had in him, and he became a tremendous run stopper for them, even showing he can get after the quarterback. Look for Detroit to sign him to a new deal ahead of free agency.

Edge Al-Quadin Muhammad

It was a career season for Muhammad in 2025. He put up 11 sacks after never having more than six. The Lions should be looking to find their next big thing opposite Aidan Hutchinson, but they should also be looking to keep Muhammad as a premium depth piece.

LB Grant Stuard

There was some hope that we’d see more of Stuard on defense and maybe even on offense, too, but he stayed mostly on special teams in 2025, and he did very well there. He had the best special teams year of his career. The Lions should bring him back because you always want to have those kinds of guys.

S Daniel Thomas

He is solid veteran depth for the Lions, and the fact that he tried to play with a broken arm really shows you he’s the type of guy the Lions love.

CB Rock Ya-Sin

What a season for Ya-Sin. I don’t know if anyone expected him to play as much as he did, but when he came in for relief after injuries, he held some of the best receivers in the league back for the most part. That’s a guy you have to have back at least for one more year.

LB Malcolm Rodriguez

Rodriguez is likely to be a major part of the Lions’ future at linebacker, not to a starter level, but as a key backup. On top of that, he’s great on special teams, and the Lions value that unit a lot.

K Jake Bates

Bates is an exclusive-rights free agent, so this is straightforward for the Lions. They don’t even have to let him hit free agency; they can very easily get a deal done. For as hard as it is to find a kicker, the Lions shouldn’t even try their luck out there. Bates is the guy.

QB Kyle Allen

I still think the Lions could be looking for a rookie quarterback this offseason, but Allen did more than enough to show that he deserves to stick around and fight for a shot at the QB2 role.

RB Jacob Saylors

Saylors did a good enough job as a kick returner to at least get a shot to defend that spot at camp this summer. Additionally, he’s an exclusive-rights free agent, so he’s not breaking the bank.

WR Tom Kennedy

Kennedy is legally required to be on this team.

Lions free agents who are not likely to be back

Edge Marcus Davenport

Let’s just call this what it is — a failed experiment. Davenport played just 10 games for the Lions in two years, and they did not get much out of most of them. Unfortunately for Davenport, he’ll always be remembered by fans as the guy Brad Holmes and the Lions chose to trust over finding a solid edge rusher in the offseason.

LB Alex Anzalone

I know a lot of Lions fans don’t want this to happen, but at the end of the day, the Lions have a lot to feel good about at linebacker, and letting Anzalone walk in an effort to get younger just makes a lot of sense.

WR Kalif Raymond

The moment the Lions drafted Dominic Lovett, it put a timer on Raymond’s time. He’s one of those guys you want around forever, but he’ll be 32 years old at he start of the 2026 season. The Lions have the younger guy they like; it’s time to see where that goes.

DT D.J. Reader

Reader’s comments to Lions fans recently make you feel like maybe he doesn’t want to be here anymore. He played well, but like Raymond, he’ll be 32 at the start of next season, and the Lions have their replacement for him in Tyleik Williams.

CB Amik Robertson

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Lions gave Robertson one more year, but 2025 was a tough one for him. He allowed a passer rating of 110.4. That’s 66 catches for 821 yards and six touchdowns. The Lions may look to go in a completely new direction with their slot corner.

DL Levi Onwuzurike

It’s a shame it had to go this way, but Onwuzurike’s injuries just caught up with him, and after struggles with him, Davenport, and Emmanuel Moseley, it’s hard to see the Lions putting their heads down and continuing to go on this one.

Edge Josh Paschal

Same thing that goes for Paschal. The Lions need to be on the lookout for guys who can be available.

OT Dan Skipper

He’s a fan favorite, and I love Skip, too. But we have to be honest at this point. The Lions need to find a better swing tackle, and preferably one who can start if need be, and not allow Jared Goff to get sacked multiple times.

DB Avonte Maddox

Maddox is another guy who could find his way back to Detroit, but I do see the Lions favoring Thomas Harper and Daniel Thomas over him for their special teams ability and youth.

OL Kayode Awosika

The Lions’ primary objective this offseason is to make this offensive line as good and as deep as possible, and that means they’ll need to clear the way. Awosika had a bad season, and the Lions are likely to see Miles Frazier as that do-all guy off the bench going forward.

LB Zach Cunningham

He was good depth early in the year, but a season-ending injury ended that, and he will be 32 next season.

LB Ezekiel Turner

Turner never played this season after an injury in camp. Similar to Cunningham and Anzalone, he just doesn’t fit the expected youth movement.

TE Shane Zylstra

Don’t be shocked to see the Lions go all in on tight ends this offseason. The depth has to be so much better, and sadly, Zylstra never quite found that next gear for the Lions.

CB Arthur Maulett

The Lions already let him go once this season. They’ll do it again this offseason in favor of finding their next slot corner.

Edge Tyrus Wheat

Wheat is a restricted free agent, so bringing him back wouldn’t cost anything, but being a practice squad guy seems like the ceiling here.

Edge Trevor Nowaske

Nowaske’s snap count nose-dived this year. He went from 348 snaps in 2024 to 66 snaps in 2025. He’s been healthy the entire season, too. That doesn’t seem like a guy the Lions are in love with.

• CB Dicaprio Bootle
• TE Anthony Firkser
• S Jalen Mills
• S Damontae Kazee
• C Trystan Colon
• OT Jamarco Jones
• OL Michael Niese
• CB Nick Whiteside

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