Getty Dan Campbell, head coach of the Detroit Lions.
There have been rumblings around the Detroit Lions that they could sign wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins or Yannick Ngakoue before training camp. Rumors have also swirled that the Lions should pursue additions to receiver and defensive line through a blockbuster trade.
As for their current roster, the Lions presumably have a contract extension to work out with quarterback Jared Goff. Detroit general manager Brad Holmes shared on May 2 that the contract negotiations with Goff were “in a good place.”
But ESPN’s Field Yates isn’t calling for the Lions to do any of that. Instead, he labeled giving guard Jonah Jackson a contract extension should be the team’s final move this offseason.
“An unmistakable part of the Lions’ offensive identity is their nasty offensive line, with Jackson as a key cog in that operation,” Yates wrote. “He is extension-eligible for the first time in his career this offseason and would seem a prime candidate for Detroit to reinvest in.
“One reality for the Lions is that they don’t have many glaring roster holes, and many of their best players are either already extended long term or not yet extension-eligible (Amon-Ra St. Brown, for example). That’s a sign of just how far this team has come and offers plenty of hope for the 2023 season.”
Jackson is due to make $2.992 million as his base salary in 2023. His cap hit will be the same.
The 26-year-old will be a free agent at the end of the season.
Lions Urged to Sign Guard Jonah Jackson to Extension
Maybe some Detroit fans will take issue with Jackson’s extension being the team’s top priority before training camp. But it’s hard to argue the Lions should re-sign the guard.
Jackson has made 45 starts since Detroit selected him at No. 75 overall in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft. He started every game as a rookie and has missed just five games over the past two years.
In 2021, Jackson earned a Pro Bowl nomination. That season, Pro Football Focus ranked him one of the best 20 guards in the NFL based on their player grades.
His PFF grade fell in 2022 but by only 3 points (only a scale to 100). He remained particularly strong at run blocking, grading as one of the top 10 guards in that category according to the PFF grades.
The Atlanta Falcons signed guard Chris Lindstrom to a five-year, $105 million extension this offseason. On June 10, Sports Illustrated’s Christian Booher wrote Jackson “could command a similar contract while not receiving as extensive of a raise.”
The Lions have $22.95 million in salary cap space remaining for the 2023 season. They have the room to give Jackson a raise if they follow Yates’ proposal and make Jackson’s extension their final major move of the offseason.
Jackson Would ‘Love to Retire a Lion’
The first step to signing any player to a contract extension is the player wanting to stay with the team. Jackson clearly made that the case at minicamp.
“I’d love to retire a Lion,” Jackson told the media on June 7. “I love this city. I have a great time here, enjoy everything about it from the sports to the people, the cuisine, you know, there’s nothing like it.”
The potentially tricky part about signing Jackson to a contract extension is not overspending. The Lions still need to re-sign Goff at some point and right tackle Penei Sewell will need a new deal sooner rather than later (the Lions could pick up Sewell’s fifth-year option to keep him through at least 2025).
But Jackson has earned a pay raise.
It may be surprising for some if the Lions award him with his raise instead of making another splash in free agency. But clearly, Yates won’t be shocked at all.