Getty Isaiah Buggs runs on the field before a Lions game in 2022.
The Detroit Lions are hoping to take the next steps into contention in the years ahead, and if they do, Isaiah Buggs wants to say he was in on the ground floor.
Buggs re-signed with the Lions just ahead of free agency on a two-year deal that will pay him around $6 million dollars. For Buggs, though, this situation in Detroit clearly wasn’t about the money.
After news of the signing was revealed on the internet on Monday, March 13, Buggs showed up with a tweet that revealed how excited he is to be making his comeback. It’s obvious that he likes playing for the Lions in a big way.
“Let’s Goo,” Buggs tweeted when he logged back on Twitter and saw the news of his deal being leaked in the media.
Later, Buggs got even more fired up with a different tweet, simply saying that he loves the Motor City.
“Detroit I Love You. Let’s Work,” Buggs tweeted.
If Buggs seemed excited on the internet to return, when speaking with the media, he was even more fired up. As Buggs explained to reporters including Tim Twentyman, he was motivated to return to Detroit because he believes in what is being built and thinks he could be a leader for the team.
Buggs said he re-signed in Detroit to be part of what he thinks is something great being built. He said he wanted to be in a place where he fit in and could be a leader.
“Buggs said he re-signed in Detroit to be part of what he thinks is something great being built. He said he wanted to be in a place where he fit in and could be a leader,” Twentyman tweeted.
Hearing that praise from a player is telling, and only serves to prove that the Lions could be heading toward a very bright future. It’s good for the team to be cultivating a culture where their players want to stay and feel like a major fit.
Buggs might be the one player that exemplifies this factor the most.
Lions’ Contract With Isaiah Buggs Good Financially
Re-signing a key player like Buggs for a young defense is important, and when the deal is examined, it looks like a true win-win for the player and the team.
Financially, it’s a great deal for both the Lions and Buggs. Detroit gets some help they can count on for the defensive line, while Buggs gets a chance to earn more money. As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reported, Buggs made a nice chunk of change.
On Isaiah Buggs’ extension with the Lions, he gets $2.1M fuly guaranteed at signing. $4.5M base, with another $1.5M availabile in incentives.
Buggs was a key contributor on that DL, found a home in Detroit and wanted to return.
“On Isaiah Buggs’ extension with the Lions, he gets $2.1M fully guaranteed at signing. $4.5M base, with another $1.5M available in incentives. Buggs was a key contributor on that DL, found a home in Detroit and wanted to return,” Birkett tweeted.
The Lions keep Buggs around, and the lineman earned a new deal. It’s a good start to a needy side of the ball on defense in free agency.
Isaiah Buggs Earned Contract With Solid 2022
While many could have seen Buggs as a depth lineman coming to Detroit, savvy fans understood how he changed the game for the team’s defensive front during last season.
The Lions weren’t pushed around up front as much as they may have been in the past thanks to Buggs coming into the mix and locking things down for the team in the middle. While he might not pile up big stats consistently in his first year, he managed to play an important role for the team’s defense.
During the season, Buggs put up a total of 46 combined tackles, one pass defended and one sack. Additionally, he has been an anchor up front for the Lions in the middle of the line with Alim McNeill. The Lions needed his emergence given the health struggles of Levi Onwuzurike, Josh Paschal and others.
Arguably, one of Buggs’ best games of the season came against Minnesota in December, when he posted one tackle and one sack on the day, but was very active.
Buggs will add a layer of veteran protection to the team’s front for 2023. He fits the culture and the locker room, and clearly wanted to stay with the team to build something for the long-term.