Lions restructure two contracts: What salary cap flexibility means for Sam LaPorta, Brian Branch extensions
Detroit reworked the deals of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell
• 3 min read
The Detroit Lions suddenly have as much financial flexibility as nearly any team in the NFL. In the final hours leading up to their 2026 season opener, they reconstructed the contracts of two of their biggest stars: Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive tackle Penei Sewell. The salary cap savings could open the door for important contract extensions or the addition of help at positions of need.
Of the two reworked deals, St. Brown's contract is the larger. The Lions converted $26 million of his salary into a signing bonus, which creates $20.8 million in cap space. Detroit also converted $18.6 million of Sewell's salary into a signing bonus, creating $14.8 million in cap savings.
Here are their remaining contracts, per Spotrac:
- Amon-Ra St. Brown: 3 years, $88 million (plus void years in 2029-31)
- Penei Sewell: 4 years, $92 million (plus void year in 2030)
The restructuring does nothing to impact the size of St. Brown's or Sewell's total earnings but rather spreads it out during and beyond the life of their contracts. They still get paid, and the team has more money to spend against the salary cap. Detroit, in fact, now owns the second-most cap space in the NFL for 2026, behind only the San Francisco 49ers. They are also scheduled to rank sixth in 2027 cap space.
| Team | 2026 cap space |
|---|---|
49ers | $48.97 million |
Lions | $39.02 million |
$33.99 million | |
$33.42 million | |
$30.08 million |
Financial gymnastics do not always mean additional moves are in the works, but they can indicate future plans. Even if the Lions do not intend to spend heavily in the immediate future, they can do so while already boasting an elite offensive roster and a handful of standout young defensive assets.
A couple of expiring contracts and an obvious need in the defensive backfield, however, suggest that Detroit could soon put its cap space to use.
Sam LaPorta, Brian Branch await extensions
The Lions have decisions to make with the 2023 second-round picks, both of whom developed into stars over the first three years of their careers. Both should be expected to sign contract extensions, even though negotiations will ensue into the regular season.
LaPorta has a chance to become the highest-paid tight end in the NFL if and when he inks his next deal. The tight end market has stalled with young standouts falling short of resetting the market, but LaPorta is the kind of talent who could leapfrog George Kittle and Trey McBride as the top earners at the position. A pair of fellow 2023 draftees landed second contracts on Saturday when Tucker Kraft and Michael Mayer became two of the five highest-paid tight ends. LaPorta and Kraft are represented by the same agent.
Branch, a fellow one-time Pro Bowler, is also in line to crack the upper echelon of earners at his position. The Lions could be more hesitant to extend the star safety, though, considering he sustained a torn Achilles in Week 14 of the 2025 season. Branch opened 2026 on the PUP list and may not be available until the final stages of the campaign, and there is the obvious question of whether he will be the same player after such a significant injury.
The salary cap savings Detroit made through its contract restructuring freed up enough money to pay both players.
Lions could enter cornerback market
In addition to Branch's injury, their other starting safety is also set to miss the start of the season as Kerby Joseph deals with an ongoing knee issue. Compounding the problems on the back end of a defense that struggled mightily in 2025 is the departure of cornerback Terrion Arnold. Allegations of kidnapping and armed robbery led to Arnold's release and created a glaring hole in the Lions' secondary.
The defensive backfield is thin and light on starting-caliber talent. Since there are a couple of standouts waiting to return at safety, the more pressing need is at cornerback. The Lions now have the cash to spend on a difference-maker, whether that be during the season by way of a trade or at the end of the year on the free agency market.
This should be a top priority for a team that needs to shore up its pass defense in order to achieve its postseason goals. St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs fuel a high-octane offense, but the team can only outscore so many opponents if it does not keep its foes off the scoreboard.
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