The Detroit Lions have built a roster good enough that not every productive player is going to cash in with a long-term extension. That reality makes 2026 a big year for a few names on the roster, especially two players who enter the season with their next contract very much on the line.
Malcolm Rodriguez is one of them. The fifth-year linebacker is healthy again after missing all of training camp last year while working back from a torn ACL, and that alone gives him a real chance to reset his value. His 2025 season never really got off the ground - he appeared in only seven games and finished with 12 total tackles - so the bar is clear: stay on the field and show he can be a reliable piece again.
There’s also an opening that could work in his favor. Alex Anzalone left the organization this offseason to join the Buccaneers, leaving a hole at WILL linebacker.
Rodriguez is the favorite to step into that spot when camp opens, but he won’t be handed anything. Rookie Jimmy Rolder and free-agent addition Damone Clark are both expected to push him hard for the job.
If Rodriguez wins the competition and holds onto the starting role through the season, he could put himself in position for a second contract in Detroit. He’s set to make $2.75 million in 2026, and the projection here is that a strong year could land him a two-year deal in the range of $6-$7 million per season.
Ya-Sin is in a similar spot, though his path looks different. The eighth-year defensive back is back on another one-year deal, and his value comes from how many different places he can line up. He can play outside, in the slot, and even at safety if needed.
That kind of flexibility matters for a Lions secondary that could use it, especially with Brian Branch returning from an Achilles injury and Kerby Joseph working his way back from a knee ailment. Ya-Sin gives defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard another piece who can move around and help wherever the need is greatest.
A solid 2026 season could set him up for one more short-term payday. The expectation is that he could land another one-year contract worth about $4 million next offseason.
In Other News...
Lions Training Camp Just Put Familiar Names On Notice
Training camp is about to give the Lions their first real roster audit of the summer, and the club has already laid out the full group of 90 players who will be in the mix. It is the usual camp blend of veterans, young depth pieces and position-by-position competition, with quarterbacks, skill players, linemen and defensive backs all headed into the same pressure cooker as the team starts sorting out who belongs.
For a roster that is still taking shape, the important part is not just who is on the field but who is fighting for more than a temporary look. Some players are there to get back on track, others are trying to stay in the conversation for the active roster or the 16-man practice squad, and familiar names will have to prove they still fit as camp begins this week. [Read more 🡒]
Penei Sewell Just Added A New Twist To Lions Camp Buzz
Penei Sewell has spent his offseason getting ready for a move back to the left side, and the Lions All-Pro tackle sounded comfortable with the transition as camp chatter builds around the offensive line. He also weighed in on the competition around him, saying it is still too early to draw much from the battle involving Christian Mahogany, Tate Frazier and Trystan Bartch, while also noting he has not yet seen Bartch. Along the way, Sewell kept leaning into the broader leadership role that comes with being one of the anchors of Detroits front.
Sewell also offered a glimpse into the day-to-day side of camp life, including his impression of offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, whom he described as smart and fast-talking with a lot going on in his head. And before the football talk fully took over, Sewell was part of a fan event at Panda Express in Livonia, another reminder that around here even the biggest names on the roster can still end up as the face of a community stop between practice sessions and preseason buildup. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Camp Opens With Major New Concerns In The Secondary
Training camp opened with an early hit to the Lions secondary depth, as Detroit placed safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph on the Physically Unable to Perform list. Tight end Tyler Conklin also landed on PUP, leaving the team to sort through a few health questions right as practices begin and roster spots start to come into focus.
For a defense that has leaned on its back end in recent seasons, the timing matters. Branch is working back from a torn Achilles, Joseph is recovering from a knee injury, and the Lions may spend the preseason evaluating other options if those absences linger. That could push more attention onto the next wave of defensive backs in camp, with Detroit needing answers before the pace picks up and the real decisions start to narrow. [Read more 🡒]