By Sunday 
With splash stats and subtle shade, Detroit’s defensive anchor makes his case loud and clear.
It’s training camp season in Detroit, and while most of the buzz is around rookies reporting, position battles, and whether Patrick Mahomes has put on a few pounds (seriously?), there’s another storyline quietly heating up—Alex Anzalone’s contract situation. Or rather, not-so-quietly, if you’ve been paying attention to his social media lately.
Anzalone, Detroit’s rugged linebacker and defensive green-dot guy, is entering the final year of his deal. And while the front office seems to have other priorities right now, Anzalone appears ready to make sure his name stays in the mix—if not at the table, then at least in the timeline.
🧃 Subtle Like a Splash Play
On Friday morning, Pride of Detroit’s Al Karsten dropped a pair of tweets highlighting just how productive Anzalone has been over the past few seasons. Let’s break it down:
- 17 “splash plays” (sacks, QB hits, TFLs, INTs, forced fumbles) in 2024 — third on the team.
- 63 splash plays over the last three seasons — 10th most among all NFL linebackers.
- He trails Fred Warner by just one, despite playing eight fewer games.
- Oh, and his $6.1M average annual salary is the lowest among the top-10 splash guys.
So what did Anzalone do?
He didn’t go on a podcast.
He didn’t post a rant.
He simply retweeted the stat drop—no words, no emojis, just a digital eyebrow raise.
The message was crystal clear:
“Hey, Detroit. I see the numbers. So do the fans. Now, how about the respect?”
💼 Business vs. Loyalty
Anzalone’s importance to the Lions’ defense has been well documented, especially when you consider how shaky things looked when he was sidelined last year. He brings leadership, experience, and a certain “dude-ness” that’s hard to quantify but easy to feel on Sundays.
But the business side complicates things. He’s 30. The Lions just drafted Jack Campbell, a potential long-term replacement. Off-ball linebackers don’t command the cash that other positions do. Add in a cap-conscious front office, and you’ve got yourself a contract standoff without even needing a public holdout—yet.
🕰️ Is This Just the Beginning?
The Lions haven’t reported any active talks with Anzalone’s camp. That could mean they’re waiting to see how camp shakes out. Or it could mean the conversations haven’t even started. If Anzalone skips a day or two of camp, the message becomes louder. If he shows up but plays it cool? Maybe that retweet was just the appetizer.
Either way, Detroit needs to figure this out.
Because in a locker room that’s built on grit, culture, and mutual buy-in, you don’t want to lose—or undervalue—the guy who’s been wearing the green dot and quietly doing the dirty work.