Alternate Lions Free Agency That Would Have Sparked Super Bowl Hopes

The Detroit Lions entered the 2026 offseason with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, but their conservative, cost-conscious approach to roster-building ultimately fell short of maximizing that window.

While general manager Brad Holmes made a few solid moves, there were several opportunities the organization could have seized to better position itself as a true championship contender.

First and foremost, Detroit should have restructured All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown’s contract.

The two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler signed a four year, $120.01 million contract extension with the Lions in 2024. And as part of the deal, he received $77 million in guarantees, per OverTheCap.

With that said, St. Brown is set to carry a hefty 2026 cap number, but converting $27.5 million of his base salary into bonuses over five years would have lowered his cap hit to roughly $11.594 million. It would have created over $21 million in savings.

Detroit should have also looked into restructuring All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell’s contract.

Plus, it should have restructured quarterback Jared Goff’s massive deal even further.

Goff’s restructuring earlier this offseason reportedly created $32 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap.

However, the Lions could have moved approximately $13 million additional of his 2026 salary into a signing bonus. They ultimately opted not to spread that cap hit over the next five years, though.

Another questionable decision by Holmes & Co. was trading running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans.

Montgomery, one-half of Detroit’s dynamic backfield tandem with Jahmyr Gibbs, had been a key part of the team’s offensive identity. Most notably, he provided Dan Campbell’s offense with a consistent source of violent, downhill running.

While Isiah Pacheco is an adequate replacement, he likely won’t be as productive as Montgomery was in Honolulu Blue.

In an alternate universe, it would have also been nice to see Detroit ink EDGE defenders K'Lavon Chaisson and Joseph Ossai to free-agent deals.

Chaisson signed a one-year, $11 million deal with the Washington Commanders, while Ossai signed a three-year contract with the N.Y. Jets worth $34.5 million.

Chaisson and Ossai combined for 12.5 sacks a season ago, and both would have served as solid EDGE complements to Pro Bowler Aidan Hutchinson.

With that said, the Lions should have also kept EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad, coming off a career-best 11-sack season, instead of letting him depart in free agency for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If I were Detroit, I would have also made a push to sign safety Nick Cross and offensive lineman Rasheed Walker.

Cross would have been a great insurance policy for Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, both of whom battled significant injuries to end the 2025 season.

Additionally, Walker could have addressed the Lions’ need for a left tackle.

Originally a seventh-round pick in 2022, Walker has developed into a solid starter, allowing just eight sacks the past two seasons. Additionally, for his efforts in 2025, he earned a 64.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking 52nd among 89 qualified offensive tackles.

He would have been an adequate replacement for Taylor Decker at left tackle.

Instead of signing with the Lions, Cross and Walker inked contracts with the Commanders and the Panthers, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Lions were wise to sign center Cade Mays, formerly of the Panthers, to a three-year deal worth $25 million.

He’s a significant upgrade over former Detroit center Graham Glasgow, and he’s expected to stabilize the middle of the team’s offensive line for years to come.

He’s certainly been the best free-agent acquisition of Holmes’ offseason.

Ultimately, Detroit’s offseason has lacked the urgency typically seen from teams seeking to make Super Bowl runs.

A couple additional restructures, smarter roster retention decisions and a few higher-impact free-agent signings could have transformed Holmes’ mediocre offseason into a highly commendable one.

Instead, Detroit enters the 2026 campaign still in playoff contention, yet without the kind of all-in push that takes contenders to the next level.