Breaking down all the Detroit Lions UFA, RFA, and ERFA free agents for the 2025 offseason.
As the Detroit Lions shift into the 2025 offseason, they have 48 players who finished the season on the roster—on either the 53-man roster, practice squad, or injured reserve—that are not currently under contract with the organization.
Let’s take a look at the four different groups those players can fall into, as well as which players land in those groups.
24 unrestricted free agents (UFA)
Unrestricted free agents are players on expiring contracts who have at least four accrued seasons of NFL experience. While they do not currently hold a contract with the Lions, Detroit can negotiate a potential new deal at any time. If they have not reached an agreement with the Lions by March 10, 2025—when the free agent tampering period begins—these players below can begin negotiations with other NFL franchises.
Note: Starters are bolded.
- QB Teddy Bridgewater
- WR Tim Patrick
- WR Allen Robinson
- OT Dan Skipper
- RG Kevin Zeitler
- OG Netane Muti
- EDGE Marcus Davenport
- EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad
- DL Levi Onwuzurike
- DL John Cominsky
- DL Jonah Williams
- DL Pat O’Connor
- DL Myles Adams
- NT Kyle Peko
- LB Derrick Barnes
- LB Ben Niemann
- LB Anthony Pittman
- LB Ezekiel Turner
- CB Carlton Davis
- CB Kindle Vildor
- CB Khalil Dorsey
- CB Emmanuel Moseley
- DB Ifeatu Melifonwu
- K Michael Badgley
16 street free agents (SFA)
Street free agents are players who finished the season on the Lions practice squad but were not offered a futures contract. Because practice squad contracts expire seven days after a team’s final game, the Lions practice players are set to become SFAs on January 25.
(NOTE: the Lions are expected to begin offering futures contracts in the next few days)
The difference between a UFA and an SFA is that SFAs do not have to wait until March to negotiate a contract with another team, as they are immediately eligible to open up contract talks with all 32 teams.
- QB Jake Fromm
- RB Jermar Jefferson
- WR Tom Kennedy
- WR Maurice Alexander
- WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
- TE James Mitchell
- OT Jamarco Jones
- OC Kingsley Eguakun
- DL Chris Smith
- EDGE Isaac Ukwu
- LB Kwon Alexander
- LB Abraham Beauplan
- LB DaRon Gilbert
- CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
- S Lored Strickland
- S Erick Hallett
3 restricted free agents (RFA)
Restricted free agents are players on expiring contracts but they only have three accrued seasons in the NFL. Like with UFAs and SFAs, the Lions can enter contract negotiations at any time, but they also have the ability to offer a one-year tender to each of these players.
The one-year tenders fall into three categories:
- First-round: Worth an estimated $7.2 M
- Second-round: Estimated $5.2 M
- Right of first refusal: Estimated $3.2 M
If these players are offered a tender by the Lions, the player can accept the one-year deal or they can negotiate a contract with another team during the free agency period. Suppose an agreement with another organization is reached. In that case, the Lions have the option to match the offer (as they did with Brock Wright last offseason) or allow the player to sign elsewhere and receive the appropriate compensation for the tender.
- RB Craig Reynolds
- TE Shane Zylstra
- OG Kayode Awosika
5 exclusive rights free agents (ERFA)
Exclusive rights free agents are players on expiring contracts but they have less than three years of accrued experience in the NFL. Like with RFAs, the Lions can offer these players a qualifying tender, but unlike RFAs, there is only one tender option and the player is not allowed to negotiate with another team unless the Lions opt to release them from that restriction.
That means, if the Lions offer an ERFA a one-year tender, that player can either accept the offer and play for the Lions or sit out the season. If the Lions do not offer the player a tender, that player becomes a UFA and can negotiate a contract with other teams during the March free agency period.
- OT Connor Galvin
- IOL Michael Niese
- EDGE Mitchell Agude
- LB Trevor Nowaske
- DB Morice Norris
Keep an eye out for our annual Detroit Lions depth chart/contract tracker in the near future, as it will have the full overview of the Lions roster and current contract situations.
