The Detroit Lions suddenly have as much financial flexibility as nearly any team in the NFL. In the final hours leading up to their 2026 season opener, they reconstructed the contracts of two of their biggest stars: Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive tackle Penei Sewell.
The salary cap savings could open the door for important contract extensions or the addition of help at positions of need. Of the two reworked deals, St. Brown's contract is the larger.
The Lions converted $26 million of his salary into a signing bonus, which creates $20.8 million in cap space. Detroit also converted $18.6 million of Sewell's salary into a signing bonus, creating $14.8 million in cap savings. Here are their remaining contracts, per Spotrac: The restructuring does nothing to impact the size of St.
Brown's or Sewell's total earnings but rather spreads it out during and beyond the life of their contracts. They still get paid, and the team has more money to spend against the salary cap. Detroit, in fact, now owns the second-most cap space in the NFL for 2026, behind only the San Francisco 49ers.
They are also scheduled to rank sixth in 2027 cap space. Financial gymnastics do not always mean additional moves are in the works, but they can indicate future plans. Even if the Lions do not intend to spend heavily in the immediate future, they can do so while already boasting an elite offensive roster and a handful of standout young defensive assets.
A couple of expiring contracts and an obvious need in the defensive backfield, however, suggest that Detroit could soon put its cap space to use. The Lions have decisions to make with the 2023 second-round picks, both of whom developed into stars over the first three years of their careers. Both should be expected to sign contract extensions, even though negotiations will ensue into the regular season.
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