Vaitai Renegotiates Lions Contract, Adds Salary-Cap Space
This offseason, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes and the front office have added additional salary-cap space by reworking the deals of multiple veterans already on the roster.
After renegotiating the contracts of Romeo Okwara, Tracy Walker and Charles Harris, the team has added $7,395,000 in cap space by renegotiating with offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai.
In March of 2020, Vaitai signed a five-year, $50 million contract with the Lions, after a stint with the Eagles.
After suffering a back injury prior to the start of the 2022 season, Vaitai underwent surgery, and was lost for the entirety of the year.
“It hurts to lose Big V, man,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said on 97.1 The Ticket. “He was a big part of what we did, and he was a great team guy. He’ll still be in the building, but that’s life in NFL and we move on. But, we’ll be okay.”
As a result of his new deal, it is quite likely the 29-year-old will be on the roster this upcoming season. His future beyond this season is in question, though, as the front office added a void year for the 2024 season.
Previously, Vaitai was set to cost $12,448,194 against the cap, as his base salary was set at $9,400,000.
The veteran lineman's 2023 cap hit has been reduced from $12.4 million to $5.05 million.
New contract details
2023
Base salary: $1,210,000
Prorated bonus: $3,843,194
Cap hit: $5,053,194
2024 (Void)
Prorated bonus: $3,843,194
Cap hit: $3,843,194
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