One of the clearest signs the Detroit Lions are in much better hands now than in any other time of the Internet Era is in how well the team is managing the financial aspect of football. For years, the Lions routinely ranked near the top of the NFL in dead salary cap spending — paying for players no longer on the team.
Just three years ago, the Lions paid out over $67 million in cap room for players not in Detroit anymore. It was a lasting handcuff around the ankle attached to the bottom of the pool ladder for the start of the rebuild around GM Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell.
That figure fell down to a more manageable but still egregious $20.3 million in dead cap room lost in 2022. In 2023, with COO Mike Disner finally freed of the shackles that prevented true progress, the figure fell again to $18.7 million in dead cap room.
Detroit ranked 15th in the NFL in dead cap spending in both 2022 and 2023, with higher numbers being more desirable. The Lions are working their way to 32nd, too.
As of the start of the offseason, the Lions rank 23rd in dead cap obligations for the upcoming season. Detroit has just $1.43 million in dead money for 2024. Nearly all of it comes from two players: Marvin Jones ($800,000) and Isaiah Buggs ($500,000). Chase Lucas adds on just under $50,000, with the rest coming from signing bonuses for undrafted rookies who didn’t make the team.
There is the potential for the Lions to add some more with some pending roster decisions. Guys like Tracy Walker, Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Romeo Okwara would add a lot of dead cap to the tally if they’re removed from the roster. But for now, the Lions are sitting a lot prettier than they have in eons in terms of salary cap health and avoiding dead weight.
