Breaking news: In an unexpected move, the Detroit Lions cut their fan favorite veteran player.
At the NFL Combine this past week, the Detroit Lions were on full show, and everyone from general manager Brad Holmes to head coach Dan Campbell was present to speak with the media and discuss the team’s future. Detroit made it to the playoffs after a successful season in 2024, but they were defeated 45-31 by the Washington Commanders on January 18.
According to one NFL analyst and specialist, the organization is already making some judgments about its roster for the upcoming campaign and will release a seasoned player.
The Detroit Lions’ first injury of the new season
When the 2018 season begins, the Detroit Lions want to cut linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
“The Lions informed Reeves-Maybin they plan to release him before the start of the 2025 league year on March 12, a person informed of the decision told the Free Press on Thursday (February 27).” The Detroit Free Press also claims that Reeves-Maybin is aware of the news.
The player Reeves-Maybin is quite well-known. In 2023, he was named to the second team All-Pro, made his first Pro Bowl, and is currently the president of the NFL Players Association.
Reeves-Maybin played his first five seasons in the Motor City after being selected by the Lions in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. In 2022, he inked a contract with the Houston Texans after becoming a free agency. In 2023, he returned to the Lions as a free agent after spending just one season with the Texans.
Detroit Lions: A Look at the Data
Last offseason, Reeves-Maybin inked a two-year, $7.5 million deal with the Lions. Prior to the 2024 season, he was also chosen to be the team’s captain. He missed seven games due to a neck ailment he sustained previous season, though.
According to SideLion Report’s Brad Berreman, the player’s cap hit for this season was $4.645 million. According to Over the Cap, Berreman claims that by cutting him, “they will clear $1.895 million in cap space and take on $2.75 million in dead money, with no difference in a pre or post-June 1 cut designation.” On March 17, he will also get a $500,000 roster bonus.
In a piece on the announcement published on Thursday, February 27, Berreman writes, “So, the Lions really aren’t gaining much cap space by cutting Reeves-Maybin, and while any dead money isn’t ideal that isn’t all that noticeable either.” “This move appears to be about giving someone else a roster spot, some cash, and/or an opportunity.”
Reeves-Maybin averaged almost 15 snaps per game in 2024, while missing seven games due to injury. In early February, he expressed his excitement about playing with the recently hired defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard of the Lions to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
“I am aware that he aspires to be a head coach, and it is our responsibility to ensure that his defense looks strong so that he can eventually become a head coach,” Reeves-Maybin told the outlet.
