Linebacker play has been essential for the Detroit Lions defense. Unlike some other defenses around the league, the Lions seem to put a premium on the position. And for the last five years, Alex Anzalone has been at the heart of the defense. But with Jack Campbell rising to an All-Pro level and Anzalone on an expiring deal, it appears Detroit is on the verge of a changing of the guard at linebacker.
So let’s take a look at some free agent options for the Lions to potentially get younger and cheaper
at the position.
Previously:
- Backup QB free agent best fits
- Best free agent RBs to replace David Montgomery
- Best TE free agent fits
- Best OT free agents fits
- Best C/G free agent fits
- Best EDGE free agent fits
Under contract:
- LB Jack Campbell
- LB Derrick Barnes
Lions free agents:
- LB Alex Anzalone
- LB Malcolm Rodriguez
- LB Trevor Nowaski (RFA)
- LB Grant Stuard
- LB Zach Cunningham
- LB Ezekiel Turner
The Lions obviously have a lot of work to do here considering just two linebackers are signed for the 2026 season. However, fans can reasonably assume several of these players facing free agency will be back. Detroit got good, significant play from Nowaski, Stuard, and Cunningham when they were healthy, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Lions re-sign all of them to affordable deals. Rodriguez is the wild card of the group, because he spent most of 2025 rehabbing from a torn ACL.
All signs point to Anzalone being on the way out. Detroit couldn’t come to a contractual agreement with the veteran linebacker last offseason, and Anzalone still seems a bit disgruntled based on his social media activity.
So for this free agency preview, I’m going to focus on potential Anzalone replacements, assuming Detroit takes care of most of its depth with re-signings.
Top free agent LBs available:
Note: Estimated contract numbers are via PFF.
- LB Devin Lloyd (Estimated contract 3 years, $48M)
- LB Devin Bush (3 years, $36M)
- LB Nakobe Dean (3 years, $41M)
- LB Kaden Ellis (3 years, $36M)
- LB Bobby Wagner (1 year, $8.5M)
- LB Tremaine Edmunds (no estimate)
There’s oddly a lot of linebacker talent in this year’s free agency, very much including Anzalone, who is projected by PFF to earn a two-year, $15M contract—a significant bump from his last three-year, $18.75M deal.
But if the Lions aren’t willing to match Anzalone’s market, it’s hard to imagine them being in play for any of the other top-market options. The only benefit toward adding these players is that they all offer more youth than Anzalone (31 years old). Dean is 25, and Bush, Lloyd, and Edmunds are 27. Ellis (30) and Wagner (36) don’t offer that same benefit.
Best fits:
- LB Quincy Williams (2 years, $4M)
- LB Alex Singleton (2 year, $9M)
- LB Justin Strnad (2 year, $8M)
Williams is just two years removed from being named first-team All Pro. He was outstanding in 2023, tallying 139 tackles, 10 passes defended, an interception, and a pair of forced fumbles. Last year, however was troubling. The good news is he was playing in a different defense and possibly wasn’t a schematic fit. The bad news is that team was the New York Jets and Aaron Glenn’s defensive scheme. Still, I believe Williams could be a good WILL linebacker in Detroit. I highly question PFF’s value of him, though. A linebacker with 73 starts in the past five years is likely going to catch at least $5M a year.
Singleton is entering his 12th NFL season after overcoming testicular cancer last year. It was also one of his best career seasons, posting a 72.0 PFF grade, including a career-high 88.5 PFF grade. While more of a MIKE linebacker, he has the versatility and history of playing the WILL as well. He’d probably be an overpay at this point in his career, though, and it may make sense to just sign Anzalone, instead.
Strnad is more of the developmental option for Detroit. While he’s 29 years old, he only has 21 starts in his career—16 of which have come in the last two seasons. But his play only seems to be getting better. He posted 73 tackles, 3.0 sacks, and three passes defended in 2024. Then bumped up to 58 tackles, 4.5 sacks, three passes defended and an interception last year. Most intriguing is his ability to cover, earning a 71.1 PFF grade in coverage last year (13th among 87 qualifying LBs).
