2026 CAP, Too Soon?

The Den
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Looking ahead to help understand JAMO/Hutch extensions as well as keeping Branch, Gibbs, Laporta and a few others.
Looking to you @DeadStroke, help me understand. Do we have hope? Or are we going to lose some of our home grown talent?
As it stands, the Lions are currently projected to be $54,378,758 over the 2026 salary cap, per OverTheCap.

That number ranks last among the entire NFL in terms of total cap space for the 2026 season, based on OverTheCap’s estimate of the salary cap being $295 million. With just under $350 million set to be on the books in terms of the team’s spending, Detroit will have to have some creativity in how it handles the situation.

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We’re not losing anyone. Holmes has been very prudent with his outside UFA spending. We just gained $11M with Ragnow retiring, plus the $40M carryover, puts us close to breakeven. Hutch/Jamo 5th year options are already accounted for in that figure. We also have $78M of cap space in 2027, that’s where Hutch Jamo and others will eat into.

Plus we are on the opposite end of the Philly spectrum when it comes from borrowing from the future. We can slowly do some restructures like Philly is doing to keep the band together.

I’m not in the least bit worried about losing anyone we don’t want to lose.

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From what I heard there’s a real chance we could lose one of those guys.

If every player performs as expected and earns what the experts think they will get. There’s strong possibility there will be a cap casualty or two.

Which is the reason trade rumors started last draft. The Lions know things are tight looking forward.

However these situations are fluid and could change with a trade, injury, unexpected restructuring…. Etc.

Keep in mind too the Lions have planned money they set aside in the equations for free agents. They can choose to eat into those plans as well.

But don’t be surprised if we lose a guy.

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That’s comforting to hear, outside of “I’m not in the least worried about losing anyone we don’t want to lose”.

I can still see a future with the Lions listening to offers of prime draft capital when/if Jamo balls out this season. I’m not predicting that, just can see that path as an option. Gotta play the season first…

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