Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill was highlighted as one of the NFL’s most overpaid players by Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport on July 3. Despite Detroit betting big on McNeill with a lucrative extension last season, Davenport questioned whether the team would regret the deal soon.
“McNeill is a solid run defender who flashes at times as a pass rusher, but he’s never topped five sacks in a season,” Davenport wrote. “Players earning more than $25 million a year should be game-wreckers, and just when he showed signs of progress, he tore up his knee. The longer it takes him to return to form, the worse this contract will look.”
McNeill, who suffered an ACL tear late in the 2024 season, finished the year with 25 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and seven QB hits over 14 games. Through four NFL seasons, he’s totaled 11.5 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, and 27 quarterback hits across 61 appearances.
When he signed his deal last October, McNeill’s average annual salary of $24.25 million made him the fourth-highest-paid defensive lineman in the league.
Lions’ Expectations for McNeill Have Grown
Drafted in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, McNeill was once seen as a developmental player. But as he progressed, head coach Dan Campbell and the Lions staff began expecting more. Last offseason, Campbell said McNeill still had untapped potential, noting, “He really took a big step last year, but we feel there’s more in there.”
Despite the high hopes, McNeill’s 2024 campaign ended prematurely due to his knee injury, and many observers feel he didn’t fully deliver on his potential last season.
ACL Recovery Looms Over McNeill’s 2025 Outlook
Recovery from ACL injuries has become faster with modern medicine, but head coach Campbell suggested McNeill might not be ready for the start of the 2025 season. Speaking in April, Campbell told reporters it was unlikely McNeill would return for training camp or the early weeks of the season, adding, “The big thing is getting him back healthy where he feels good and can be productive.”
McNeill tore his ACL in mid-December. A nine-month recovery would put his return around mid-September — the best-case scenario for both him and the Lions as they look for him to anchor the defensive line moving forward.
Detroit’s Costly Gamble? McNeill Listed as One of NFL’s Most Overpaid Players
