Detroit Lions

Jay Tufele

DT

Tufele appeared in 12 games in a depth role with the Jets in 2025, but now he's moving on to his third team in as many seasons. It looks like the Lions are going to be without veteran starter DJ Reader, so it's not hard to imagine Tufele earning a spot on the team's 53-man roster for 2026.

Joe Bachie

LB

Detroit will be Bachie's fourth team in as many years. He's logged regular-season snaps, mostly on special teams, in each of his seven seasons since he made his pro debut with Philadelphia in 2020. The Lions lost veteran starter Alex Anzalone to the Buccaneers in free agency back in March, so there could be room for Bachie to stick on the 53-man roster in a depth role in 2026.

Jack Campbell

LB

Campbell is coming off the most productive season of his career, logging 176 tackles (89 solo), including 5.0 sacks, but that seemingly wasn't enough to convince Detroit to exercise his option. The 25-year-old will now play out the final year of his rookie deal during the 2026 campaign and look to earn a contract extension.

Jahmyr Gibbs

RB

It was a no-brainer move for the Lions, and Gibbs will collect a fully guaranteed $14.293 million salary in 2027. That still puts him well below the $20.6 million per year Saquon Barkley is earning as the league's highest-paid running back. As long as Gibbs keeps producing like he has since coming into the NFL as the 12th overall pick in 2023, he should become the league's top-earning back soon enough. He's posted back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and has totaled 3,580 yards and 39 touchdowns on the ground across three campaigns. In addition to his dynamic ability as a runner, Gibbs has secured 181 of 228 targets for 1,449 yards and 10 scores in 49 regular-season contests. With David Montgomery now out of the picture, replaced by Isiah Pacheco, the ceiling is even higher for Gibbs headed into 2026.

Miles Kitselman

TE

Kitselman spent the 2025 season with Tennessee, where he caught 26 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He will look to compete for a depth spot on Detroit's roster and could be a candidate to land on their practice squad.