The Detroit Lions announced on Wednesday that they have released defensive end Josh Paschal.
Paschal was the team’s second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and unfortunately, his time in Detroit was more defined by injuries than anything else. He missed seven games during his rookie season, five games the next year, and he missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing back surgery.
Paschal’s contract was actually set to expire at the start of the new league year, but because he spent all of the 2026 season on the non-football injury list, his contract actually tolled a year, and he was still with the team. However, when asked about Paschal’s future with the team, Lions general manager Brad Holmes offered a strange answer during NFL Combine week.
“Josh, we’ll have the ability to bring him back as well. There’s still discussions to be had about that one. But yeah, it’s a possibility,” Holmes said.
Paschal’s time with the Lions ends with just 36 games played, 18 starts, 5.0 sacks, and 62 tackles.
Detroit has a lot of work to do at the defensive end position in free agency. Currently, they only have Aidan Hutchinson, Tyler Lacy, and Ahmed Hassanein under contract. Marcus Davenport and Al-Quadin Muhammad are now unrestricted free agents, and the Lions have already lost Tyrus Wheat, who agreed to terms to rejoin the Dallas Cowboys.
We’re tracking all of the Lions’ free agency news and rumors here. You can also take a look at every position-by-position depth chart with our 2026 contract tracker. Finally, don’t miss our 2026 offseason tracker to see a full recap of Detroit’s offseason adds and losses.
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