The Detroit Lions hope they have their starting interior defensive line of the future with Alim McNeill and Tyleik Williams. In a perfect world, rookie Skyler Gill-Howard will emerge as a significant contributor as well. But that doesn’t mean there couldn’t be a place for Benito Jones in Detroit during 2026.
Jones played for the Lions in 2022 and 2023. During his final Detroit season, he started 15 contests.
A to Z Sports’s Mike Payton has stressed in multiple articles recently the Lions should consider bringing back the veteran defensive lineman.
On Friday, Payton included Jones on a list of eight remaining free agents who makes sense for the Lions.
“He was a solid nose tackle for Detroit, and he can be that in a rotational depth sense this time around,” wrote Payton. “Plus, he doesn’t come anywhere close to breaking the bank.”
Jones posted 42 combined tackles and 2.5 sacks in 34 games with the Lions. He spent the past two seasons with the Miami Dolphins.
Lions Urged to Consider Defensive Line Reunion in NFL Free Agency