Welcome to our 2026 Detroit Lions free agency preview! If you’ve never read any of these before, let me explain how it works. We will be writing about all of the free agents the Lions have in 2026 and discuss their expectations heading into last season and how it actually went, with an outlook towards next year with a discussion on the pros and cons of re-signing him along with how much it would cost.
To start this year’s version, we’re going with a fan favorite in linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez. Rodriguez suffered
an injury in 2024 that limited his role in 2025. Let’s dive in to review his season and see if he should return with Detroit in 2026.
Malcolm Rodriguez
Expectations heading into 2025
After tearing his ACL in October 2024, Rodriguez was met with a shortened season in 2025. The team and everyone didn’t expect him back until the season would start and coming off an ACL tear, players usually take about a year to look like themselves. There weren’t high expectations on Rodriguez, but being in the final year of his rookie contract, they may have been higher for himself.
With Rodriguez starting the year on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, Detroit made some moves to help their depth at linebacker, signing Zach Cunningham, Grant Stuard, and Ezekiel Turner. This gave the team options in case Rodriguez needed more time to recover and players to fill in his role while he was recovering and rehabbing.
Actual role in 2025
Note: PFF grades reflect a minimum 20% snaps at that position. Rodriguez didn’t hit this threshold.
Season stats — 7 games (1 start): 12 tackles, one tackle for loss
72 defensive snaps; 160 special teams snaps – one tackle and one assisted tackle
PFF defensive grade: 28.4
PFF run defense grade: 57.4
PFF tackling grade: 29.3
PFF pass rush grade: 54
PFF coverage grade: 27.7
PFF special teams grade: 66.6
In June 2025, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that Rodriguez was expected to return in November, and he was correct in that prediction. Rodriguez practiced for three weeks after being activated off the PUP list, made his return against the New York Giants in Week 12.
When he was activated, Rodriguez saw his role on the team change. That wasn’t new for him as he was a starter in 2022, before losing his starting job and being a depth piece in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, he played a majority of his snaps on special teams. While he didn’t do much on special teams to stand out, it was his highest grade according to PFF. Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp respected him for playing and helping this team out anyway he could.
“I think Malcolm’s working through it. I think a lot of those guys coming off an ACL, they say year two is really the year they really explode,” Fipp said before the final game of the season. “I give him a lot of credit for obviously fighting to get back as fast as he has and go out there. He’s been a productive player for us and I would assume that he only gets better and better — not that he’s lacking right now. I mean, he’s been a great player for us at times and I think he’s working his way back into shape and playing. But still an asset for us, for sure.”
Outlook for 2026
Contract status: Unrestricted free agent
Pros of re-signing
The Lions’ linebacker room needs as many bodies as they can find. The team only has two linebackers under contract in 2026 in Derrick Barnes and Jack Campbell. Rodriguez gives the team a familiar face and he can help them out on defense or special teams. He also didn’t have a strong return in 2025, meaning his value will be lower and should be a cheap re-signing for the team if both sides are interested.
Rodriguez could compete for a starting role as well, but I don’t think the team would like him to start. While they did in 2022, it was because he was one of the best linebackers they had on the roster at the time. Now they have an All-Pro in Jack Campbell and the team would most likely prefer someone who is coming off a healthy 2025 or possibly a rookie that stands out to them that could have a long-term future with the team.
Having him return, with more time off to prepare for 2026, he could be a valuable asset to the depth of the linebacker core. He could see more rotations again like he did in 2023 and 2024 on defense and fill in for a starter if they go down with an injury.
Cons of re-signing
Coming off that ACL tear, Rodriguez didn’t look like the same player like he was previously. Now, like Fipp mentioned and I said earlier, sometimes players need an extra year to get back to where they were. Could Rodriguez make that jump back to where he was, or could that injury have altered his career and changed how he is as a player? We won’t know until he’s back on the field again, but Detroit risking on taking a chance on another player who is somewhat coming off a major injury hasn’t always turned out for the best in the end.
Is there interest from both sides?
We all know general manager Brad Holmes loves a good deal and loves to talk to players who are coming off or dealing with an injury. I would think both sides have an interest in returning, as Holmes drafted Rodriguez and he was an instant starter in 2022. The coaching staff likes him, and Rodriguez found love in Michigan, marrying Kennedy Frazer back in 2024, as they gave birth to their first child in March 2025.
With a family now, especially his wife who grew up in Michigan, it might be harder for Rodriguez to leave the state and it could play into the Lions hands to have him re-sign with the team. Rodriguez will want to prove himself and there’s nobody better than the team that drafted him in Detroit. But he could always be seeking out more money and potentially a starting role elsewhere.
Cost?
Rodriguez would likely be a cheap re-signing for Detroit. I don’t think either side would want a long-term deal as the team needs to see if Rodriguez is back to his normal form in 2026, and Rodriguez probably wouldn’t maximize his value with a long-term deal coming off a shortened season. He’ll want to prove to himself and potentially score a bigger deal in 2027. I could see Detroit signing Rodriguez to a one-year deal worth between $2.5-3.5 million deal.
Conclusion
When it comes to the list of free agents the Lions have this offseason, Rodriguez is one of the easiest ones to have a decision on. His history with the organization and the community has been positive, as he became a fan favorite his rookie year. He’ll want to become a starter again, but likely knows he needs to prove himself to the team and to the rest of the NFL. If he has a good year in 2026, it could result in a big contract in 2027. There’s too many positives and things that align that make me believe this will be a done deal fast.
What do you think the Lions should do with Malcolm Rodriguez? Vote in the poll below and let us know in the comments.
