Taking a look at the top 10 Detroit Lions under contract in 2026, NFL salary cap projections and the team’s highest-paid players.
Heading into this past season, the Detroit Lions were viewed as a true contender to compete for a Super Bowl. In the end, the Lions finished dead last in the NFC North, thanks to poor offensive line play, defensive injuries, and issues on the coaching staff. There have been coaching changes, but is this team in a position to rally the troops and make another run at it all next season?
Below, we will take a look at the 10 best players that the Detroit Lions still have under contract for next season. We will also look at NFL salary cap projections and the top cap hits on the team in 2026.
All Detroit Lions salary cap data below is accurate as of February 21st, 2026.
10 Best Detroit Lions Under Contract in 2026
These are the 10 best players the Detroit Lions still have under contract for the 2026 season, in the order of their current salary cap hit. For those who know ball, you will recognize that these are the team’s 10 best players and not just the players that journalism nerds think they need to talk about.
- Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR ($33.1M)
- Penei Sewell, OT ($28M)
- Taylor Decker, OT ($21M)
- DJ Reed, CB ($17.9M)
- Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE ($10.1M)
- Jameson Williams, WR ($8.3M)
- Sam LaPorta, TE ($6.8M)
- Brian Branch, DB ($6.5M)
- Jahmyr Gibbs, RB ($5.7M)
- Jack Campbell, LB ($4.7M)
Highest Detroit Lions Cap Hits in 2026
As things stand today, here is a list of the 10 highest player hits against the Detroit Lions’ salary cap in 2026. Obviously, contracts can be manipulated, and a player could be cut or traded as well. In the case of a release, we have listed a player’s dead cap. This is how much money they would count against the cap if they are cut from the team.
- QB Jared Goff, $69.6M ($63.8M dead cap)
- WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, $33.1M ($44.2M)
- DL Alim McNeill, $29M ($37.9M)
- OT Penei Sewell, $28M ($48.9M)
- OT Taylor Decker, $21M ($9.4M)
- CB DJ Reed, $17.9M ($26.7M)
- EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, $10.1M ($51.9M)
- LB Derrick Barnes, $9.8M ($13.1M)
- C Graham Glasgow, $8.4M ($2.9M)
- RB David Montgomery, $8.4M ($4.9M)
NFL Salary Cap Projections 2026
The league has informed teams that the 2026 NFL salary cap will be between $301.2 million and $305.7 million per team. Below, we will assume a salary cap of $303.45 million, using data from Spotrac.
| Rk | TM | Current Players | Cap Space | Dead Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEN | 52 | $97,776,638 | $5,135,657 |
| 2 | LV | 49 | $87,821,212 | $35,238,302 |
| 3 | LAC | 52 | $82,100,325 | $478,183 |
| 4 | NYJ | 51 | $78,990,889 | $88,996,619 |
| 5 | WAS | 52 | $66,506,531 | $12,592,731 |
| 6 | SEA | 57 | $63,421,971 | $483,724 |
| 7 | CIN | 63 | $52,675,496 | $11,248,222 |
| 8 | PIT | 60 | $44,768,173 | $7,934,338 |
| 9 | LAR | 53 | $44,390,412 | $8,570,436 |
| 10 | IND | 60 | $34,952,488 | $2,093,644 |
| 11 | NE | 64 | $34,800,699 | $20,364,345 |
| 12 | ARI | 59 | $32,813,790 | $14,951,854 |
| 13 | ATL | 50 | $26,181,296 | $4,660,354 |
| 14 | DEN | 55 | $26,033,090 | $1,218,922 |
| 15 | BAL | 48 | $22,673,001 | $12,262,715 |
| 16 | SF | 59 | $22,453,414 | $36,327,740 |
| 17 | TB | 52 | $14,479,885 | $253,922 |
| 18 | CAR | 54 | $9,875,093 | $14,607,844 |
| 19 | NYG | 58 | $7,030,099 | $216,988 |
| 20 | PHI | 56 | $3,679,036 | $53,387,574 |
| 21 | MIA | 52 | -$3,699,267 | $73,949,385 |
| 22 | GB | 66 | -$4,344,831 | $17,171,715 |
| 23 | HOU | 54 | -$8,042,142 | $39,318,780 |
| 24 | DET | 49 | -$9,151,960 | $9,287,290 |
| 25 | CHI | 53 | -$9,503,349 | $917,995 |
| 26 | JAX | 61 | -$12,074,552 | $50,977,118 |
| 27 | KC | 54 | -$14,403,869 | $215,642 |
| 28 | BUF | 59 | -$15,187,073 | $30,093,166 |
| 29 | CLE | 55 | -$19,541,898 | $39,763,849 |
| 30 | DAL | 54 | -$25,890,723 | $24,344,178 |
| 31 | MIN | 54 | -$40,632,414 | $5,608,074 |
| 32 | NO | 66 | -$41,774,364 | $90,590,412 |
