Lions Expected to Face ‘Toughest Decision’ on Re-Signing Pro-Bowl OL

Detroit Lions guard Jonah Jackson is a rarity on the roster — a player who joined the team prior to the arrival of general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell in 2021 and not only survived the roster overhaul, but became a cornerstone of the rebuild.

Now that Jackson is headed to free agency, one analyst believes the Lions could find themselves priced out of his next contract. Morgan Cannon of SB Nation’s Pride of Detroit wrote that the Lions could face their “toughest decision” on whether to re-sign Jackson at what is expected to be a much higher price.

Jonah Jackson Brought Stability to Offensive Line

As Cannon noted, Jackson has been a “mainstay” at left guard for the Lions and gained a reputation as one of the best pulling guards in the NFL. He earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2021 and helped the Lions put together one of the league’s most effective rushing attacks.

While Cannon predicted that the Lions might seek to keep Jackson for the sake of continuity, his next deal could be too expensive for them. The team has already invested a lot in left tackle Taylor Decker ($19 million cap hit in 2024) and center Frank Ragnow ($12.8-million cap hit), with tackle Penei Sewell expected to get a big extension in the near future as well.

“From Jackson’s perspective, he is 27 years old and coming off of a third-round rookie contract,” Cannon wrote. “In most cases, this is the time for a player to strike while the iron is hot. There may be a team out there that is looking to upgrade their left guard spot, and if they have plenty of money to throw at the problem, the Lions may quickly find themselves out of the running to retain Jackson’s services.”

Lions Reveal Free Agency Plans

As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press noted, Holmes has made it clear that the Lions want to keep as many of their own players as possible and do not plan to make many high-profile free-agency signings from outside the organization.

Birkett noted that both Sewell and defensive tackle Alim McNeill are entering the final year of their rookie deals and are eligible for contract extensions. The team is expected to pick up Sewell’s fifth-year option if he doesn’t sign a new contract by the NFL Draft in April.

“It’s one pot,” Holmes said of the team’s available salary cap this offseason. “You’ve got to be very strategic of (how) that pot is divided up or divvied up. But we’ll be smart, and we’ll make the right moves. But yeah, it just changes the landscape a little bit in free agency.”

The Lions have also expressed a desire to give quarterback Jared Goff a long-term extension, as well as wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. The pair helped lead the team to their first division title in three decades, and just the second trip to the NFC Championship game in franchise history. Both the team and Goff have expressed a desire to get a deal done sometime soon.