After their Super Bowl dreams were dashed this past weekend, the Detroit Lions are now focused on a critical offseason as they aim to reload for a championship push in 2025.
The team has already seen three significant coaching departures, including offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Johnson took the head coaching job with the Bears, while Glenn was hired for the same position by the Jets. Additionally, defensive line coach Terrell Williams left for New England to lead the Patriots’ defense under Mike Vrabel.
With so much coaching turnover, particularly on the defensive side where Glenn’s leadership kept an injury-riddled unit afloat, the Lions will now turn their attention to retaining key players on the roster.
The first priority will be in the secondary, where safety Kerby Joseph is a top target for an extension. Still under his rookie contract for the 2025 season, Joseph has already emerged as a cornerstone of Detroit’s defense.
After leading the league with nine interceptions and earning a first-team All-Pro selection in 2024, Joseph has proven his value. Lions general manager Brad Holmes confirmed that the team will explore an extension with Joseph this offseason, as reported by Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network.
With 17 interceptions since entering the NFL in 2022, Joseph will have a strong case to match or exceed the $21M APY earned by Antoine Winfield during his recent extension.
Holmes was less specific about a new contract for cornerback Carlton Davis, who was traded to the Lions last offseason and finished the 2024 season on injured reserve following a broken jaw. Davis is set to hit free agency in March, but the Lions have yet to engage in contract talks with him, per Rogers.
He started the first 13 games of the season, recording 11 passes defended and holding quarterbacks to a career-low 77.0 passer rating when targeted. Davis will be seeking a raise from his last contract, which carried a $14.8MM APY (via OverTheCap).
A deal similar to the nearly $18M APY reached by 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir on his recent extension may be in the cards. However, Davis’ injury history, having missed at least four games in each of the last four seasons, could impact negotiations. Teams may offer less in guarantees or include substantial per-game roster bonuses to offset the injury risk.
On the offensive side, the Lions are considering an extension for veteran guard Kevin Zeitler, according to ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. Zeitler joined the team as a free agent last offseason and far outperformed his one-year, $6MM contract in 2024. He started all but one regular-season game, though an injury in Week 18 kept him out of the Lions’ divisional round loss to the Commanders.
Zeitler’s 2024 contract was a steal compared to the rest of the guard market, so he will be looking for a significant raise on his next deal. At 35 years old when the 2025 season kicks off, a multi-year deal may not be in the cards, but a one-year contract in the range of Brandon Scherff’s $10MM deal for 2024 could be a possibility.
