By Moses Joshua 
As Detroit’s Cap Tightens and Needs Mount, Alex Anzalone’s Long Tenure May Be Approaching Its Final Chapter
The Detroit Lions aren’t built to look too far ahead right now. With the playoff race tightening and immediate problems demanding attention, the focus is squarely on salvaging the season. But as the cracks widen and the team’s weaknesses grow harder to hide, a looming question has begun to overshadow Detroit’s long-term outlook: Which cornerstone players may not be part of the future once 2025 ends?
And unfortunately, one of the most respected veterans on the roster may be at the top of that list.
A Tough Financial Landscape Meets a Tough Decision
Detroit is projected to enter the 2026 offseason with just $17.8 million in cap space, one of the lowest totals in the league. That number becomes even more daunting when paired with the fact that 21 unrestricted free agents are currently on track to hit the market.
Among them is linebacker Alex Anzalone, the emotional heartbeat and longtime stabilizer of the Lions defense.
Detroit can manipulate the cap, restructure deals, and shift money around — but with multiple roster holes and limited resources, the team will have to make cold, difficult choices. And few choices will be harder than deciding the future of Anzalone.
Alex Anzalone: A Leader Whose Impact Has Outlived Expectations
When Anzalone arrived in Detroit with an “injury history” label from his New Orleans Saints days, many expected him to be a stopgap. Instead, he became an anchor.
During the Lions’ transformative seasons in 2022 and 2023, he posted back-to-back years with 120+ tackles, all while generating a career-high 19 quarterback hits across the two campaigns. Last season, when he missed seven games, Detroit quickly discovered just how essential he was to the structure of Aaron Glenn’s defense.
And even now, in what could be his final stretch in Honolulu blue, he’s still producing. Through 12 games, Anzalone has delivered 72 tackles, five QB hits, three tackles for loss, and an interception — a reminder that his instincts and physicality remain intact.
But there’s a reality the Lions can’t ignore: he’ll be 32 by the start of next season.
The NFL is unforgiving to aging linebackers, both physically and financially.
The Pull From Other Teams — and the Harsh Truth Detroit Must Face
Anzalone’s value around the league has never been higher. His leadership, consistency, and scheme versatility make him an ideal short-term splash signing for a cap-rich contender. And with former Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn expected to draw interest around the league — including at his current stop with the cap-heavy New York Jets — it wouldn’t be surprising to see teams ready to offer Anzalone more money and more years than Detroit can afford.
For the Lions, the calculus becomes painfully simple:
- They must upgrade their defensive front.
- They must upgrade the secondary.
- They cannot afford to overspend on an aging linebacker, no matter how important he’s been.
Unless Anzalone is willing to take a substantial discount — a possibility, but far from guaranteed — Detroit may be forced to watch a respected veteran walk out the door.
A Quiet “Last Dance” in Detroit?
There’s no animosity here. No decline in effort. No locker-room concern. Alex Anzalone has given the Lions everything they could have asked for — and then some.
But the NFL is a business. And in Detroit’s case, a tightening cap, a swelling free-agent class, and rising roster needs may already be spelling out the end of his time in Honolulu blue.
If this is indeed the final stretch, Lions fans may want to savor it.
Because when the dust settles on the 2025 season, they may be saying goodbye to one of the most dependable and respected defensive leaders the franchise has had in years.