The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have gotten a hometown discount from a coveted free agent, and it’s a player who might be able to change the entire face of their defense.
“Confirming Bucs have agreed to a contract with Lions FA LB Alex Anzalone,” Tampa Bay Times NFL reporter Rick Stroud wrote on his official X account on Monday. “He lives in Tampa.”
“The Buccaneers have agreed to terms with LB Alex Anzalone on a two-year, $17 million deal,” NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo wrote on his official X account. “Thor heads to Tampa … He turned down more money elsewhere to join the Bucs.”
Anzalone’s ties to the South are heavy — the Pennsylvania native starred at the University of Florida from 2013 to 2016 and spent the first 4 seasons of his career with the New Orleans Saints.
Anzalone, 31 years old, had 95 tackles, 9 pass deflections, 2.5 sacks, 8 QB hits and 1 interception in 2025.
From Fox Sports’ pre-free agency rankings: “Anzalone, 31, has had a productive five-year run in the middle of Detroit’s defense, averaging 14 starts and 98 tackles per year. He’s done it inexpensively, making $6 million a year on his last deal. Could his time with the Lions be up? Seems he could land with Aaron Glenn and the Jets if that is the case — Glenn was with him for four of those years in Detroit and arguably his best.”
Injury Issues Defined Alex Anzalone Early in Career
Anzalone, 6-foot-3 and 234 pounds, has become 1 of the NFL’s most durable players after injuries defined the early part of his football career.
In 4 seasons at Florida, Anzalone missed 20 games and only played 1 full season, in 2014, when he was a backup.
Those problems continued into his NFL career after the Saints drafted him in the 3rd round (No. 76 overall) of the 2017 NFL draft — he missed a whopping 26 games over his first 3 NFL seasons.
Since joining the Lions on a 1-year, $2.5 million contract in 2022, he’s been one of the NFL’s most consistently durable players and has only missed 11 games, total, since the 2020 season.
Alex Anzalone’s Durability Equaled Big Money
Once Anzalone showed he could be a durable, reliable player the money started flowing.
He signed a 3-year, $18.3 million contract before the 2023 season to stay with the Lions in a period of unprecedented success for the Lions, who made the NFC Championship Game following the 2023 season and earned the NFC’s No. 1 seed in the playoffs in 2024 but were upset by the Washington Commanders in the NFC Divisional Round.
Anzalone had consecutive seasons with over 125 tackles for the Lions in 2022 and 2023 and will be paired with another 30-plus-year-old veteran on the Buccaneers with legendary linebacker Lavonte David.
Buccaneers Drop $17 Million to Steal Standout Defender From NFC Rival