Lions sign 9 players to futures deals, including 3 guys who could play bigger roles in 2026
Sixth-round pick Ahmed Hassanein is sticking with the Lions.
Now that the Detroit Lions’ season is over, the Lions have already got to work on securing some of their pending free agents. They got three guys set up with new deals, and now they’re adding nine players to futures deals.
A futures deal ensures that players are included on the Lions’ 90-man roster during the offseason. This does not affect the cap, and typically, these deals are used on practice squad players. Here are the headliners and the rest of the group who are staying:
Edge Ahmed Hassanein
We never got to see Hassanein play this season, and that was unfortunate. His pectoral injury significantly affected his rookie year. The hope is that in 2026, he can essentially redo his rookie year with full health and a full plan for him.
WR Jackson Meeks
This one will be fun to figure out because there’s a world where he bulks up and switches to tight end, as Devin Funchess did for the Panthers during their Super Bowl run a decade ago. The Lions have already spent a good amount of the season working with him there. Let’s see if it sticks.
S Loren Strickland
He played a strong special-teams role in 2024 but did not play in 2025. He’s a good guy to have around, and maybe he takes a step in 2026 and regains that special-teams role, with a side of playing safety on defense.
- OT Devin Cochran
- RB Jabari Small
- TE Zach Horton
- OT Mason Miller
- DL Chris Smith
- WR/QB Malik Cunningham
Detroit Lions News
7-Round Detroit Lions Mock Draft: A blockbuster trade on Day 2 changes everything
The Lions rebuild both sides of the trenches and bring in a former fifth-overall pick.
