On November 8, Lions left lineman Jonah Jackson addressed the rest of the NFL through the media.
Jonah Jackson, a Detroit Lions guard, is a rarity on the roster: he joined the team before the arrival of general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell in 2021 and not only survived the roster revamp, but also became a key component of the rebuild.
Now that Jackson is entering free agency, one analyst believes the Lions may be priced out of his next contract. Morgan Cannon of SB Nation’s Pride of Detroit said that the Lions may face their “toughest decision” in re-signing Jackson at a considerably higher price.
Jonah Jackson brought stability to the offensive line.
As Cannon pointed out, Jackson has been a “mainstay” at left guard for the Lions, earning a reputation as one of the finest pulling guards in the NFL. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2021 and helped the Lions build one of the league’s most productive rushing offenses.
While Cannon expected that the Lions will try to maintain Jackson for consistency, his next contract could be prohibitively pricey for them. The team has already made significant investments in left tackle Taylor Decker ($19 million cap hit in 2024) and center Frank Ragnow ($12.8 million cap hit), with tackle Penei Sewell set to sign a long-term agreement soon.
“From Jackson’s perspective, he is 27 years old and coming off of a third-round rookie contract,” Cannon stated in an email. “Typically, a player should strike while the iron is hot. There may be a team out there trying to enhance their left guard position, and if they have a lot of money to throw at the problem, the Lions may rapidly fall out of the running to keep Jackson.”
Lions Announce Free Agency Plans
As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press pointed out, Holmes has made it clear that the Lions want to maintain as many of their own players as possible and do not intend to make many high-profile free-agent acquisitions from outside the team.
Birkett mentioned that both Sewell and defensive tackle Alim McNeill are in the final year of their rookie contracts and are eligible for contract extensions. If Sewell does not sign a new contract by the NFL Draft in April, the team will likely pick up his fifth-year option.
“It’s one pot,” Holmes remarked about the team’s available salary cap this offseason. “You must be very strategic about how that pot is shared or divvied up. But we’ll be clever and make the correct decisions. But, yes, it does shift the landscape of free agency slightly.”
The Lions have also expressed interest in long-term extensions for quarterback Jared Goff and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. The duo helped the team win its first division title in three decades and get to the NFC Championship game for only the second time in franchise history. Both the organization and Goff have shown a desire to finalize a deal soon.
