Entering the offseason, the Detroit Lions had multiple avenues to improve their roster. They have likely made a majority of their free agent signings. They have assets in the upcoming NFL Draft. However, perhaps Detroit’s best path to success is through their returning players.
Whether due to injury or poor play, there is no question that many players on the 2025 Lions roster underperformed—a Super Bowl-caliber team does not miss the playoffs without a lot going wrong. Some of those players departed in free agency, some of them remain unsigned, but many of them will return to don Honolulu Blue in 2026.
On one hand, it might be unwise to rely on players to rebound in order to succeed next season, but the counterpoints are equally valid. Some of these players have shown promise before, so the idea of a turnaround season is not a blue moon event. Additionally, the Lions only have so much salary cap space to maneuver—if you paint yourself into a corner, you have no other options but to rely on the players you invested in.
For the Lions to recapture their Super Bowl aspirations, they will need their roster to improve from within. Which players coming off a poor 2025 are in dire need of a successful 2026 campaign?
Today’s Question of the Day is:
Which Lions player needs to rebound in 2026?
My answer: Alim McNeill.
Before I explore my answer further, I will give three (dis?)honorable mentions to Derrick Barnes, Giovanni Manu, and Kerby Joseph. Derrick Barnes’ extension was criticized last year, but there was at least belief that he was an ascending player. For Barnes to justify his long-term role with Detroit, 2026 could be his last chance to prove it—his contract becomes very cuttable after this season. For Manu, it’s simply a question of proving that he is an NFL-caliber player. Athletic-yet-raw prospects have regularly flamed out of the NFL because traits only go so far. Not only is he at risk of missing the Lions roster, but he might never see a 53-man roster again in his career given his lack of development. Finally, there is no question about the talent that Joseph brings to the team, but the lingering mystery surrounding the status of his knee is trouble. A healthy and productive 2026 would go a long way to ease any worries.
McNeill falls into a similar category to Barnes and Joseph. His contract, a four-year, $97 million extension signed in 2024, has aged poorly. His 2024 season was off to a good start—not as elite as 2023, but still solid—before a torn ACL ended his year. Not only that, as his ACL injury occurred in a mid-December contest, his recovery bled in 2025. He did not return to the lineup until Week 7, and aside from the rare flashes of his former self, it was largely a season to forget for the defensive tackle.
The onus is on McNeill to prove that 2025 was a write-off season due to his recovery. Not only does he have to stay healthy in 2026, he also needs to return to form—his combination of pass rush and run defense is unparalleled among defensive tackles on the roster. Much like with Barnes, if he continues to underperform next season, the likelihood of a 2027 release skyrockets. Though Detroit would eat almost $13 million in dead cap with a pre-June 1 release in 2027, they would save almost $15 million in turn. If the Detroit Lions draft a defensive tackle early in the 2026 NFL Draft, it could be telling of a make-or-break season for their former star.
I am still optimistic about McNeill, as he is only entering his age 26 season and has shown elite level when healthy. Being another year removed from his injury and getting a full training camp under his belt should only help his chances of a rebound in 2026. For a team that likes to crush the pocket, the Lions badly need McNeill at the top of his game.
Which Lions players need to rebound the most in 2026? Let us know in the comments below.
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