One Detroit Lions Player Who Must Return to Team in 2026

The Detroit Lions would be wise to make a concerted effort to re-sign Roy Lopez heading into the 2026 season, even if his contributions don’t always jump off the stat sheet.

In a defense that has experienced its fair share of inconsistency, injuries and subpar production along the interior, Lopez has quietly provided exactly what Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes value most: reliability, physicality and effort on every single snap.

Signed as a low-risk free agent this past offseason, Lopez has been one of Detroit’s most dependable defensive linemen throughout the season.

He’s suited up in all 16 games for Detroit, and has compiled 30 total tackles, five quarterback hits and two sacks. And for his efforts, he's earned a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 69.9, the 28th-best mark among 132 qualified interior defensive linemen.

His PFF overall mark also is higher than fellow Lions defensive tackles DJ Reader (69.4), Tyleik Williams (61.7) and Alim McNeill (51.6).

Additionally, Lopez has been a run-stuffing force in the middle of the line, posting a PFF run-defense grade of 69.7. That mark ranks 17th among fellow interior defensive linemen. He also owns the eighth-best run-defense grade of all Lions defenders, along with the very best run-defense mark of Detroit’s interior defensive linemen.

“He's an outstanding role player for us,” Campbell said of Lopez in a November interview on 97.1 The Ticket's “Costa & Jansen with Heather” show. “When he comes in, we don't miss a beat, man. ... He plays with leverage, he's stout, he's strong, he's explosive. But then he can run the line of scrimmage, too, now, so you wanna run wide zone on him, he can get knock-back and run. That was evident the other day (against the Commanders). ... He plays hard, man. He plays snap to whistle."

Lopez plays with the grit and toughness that define Detroit’s culture. He understands his role and embraces it, whether that means eating blocks, clogging running lanes or performing another duty for Kelvin Sheppard’s unit.

From a roster-building standpoint, bringing Lopez back also makes financial sense. In fact, per Spotrac, the 28-year-old is projected to make an annual salary of $6.4M on a new deal this offseason. That type of contract would hardly break the bank for Holmes & Co.

The Lions don’t need Lopez to be a star. They need him to be exactly what he is: a tough, gritty interior presence who embodies the team’s identity.

For a defense seeking consistency and physicality in 2026, that alone makes him worth bringing back.

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