Another one! Detroit Lions and Alim McNeill agree on a four-year contract extension.
According to his agency, Alim McNeill has agreed on a four-year extension to stay with the Detroit Lions. He becomes the second Lions player to agree to a new contract in less than a week. On Saturday night, running back David Montgomery signed a two-year, $18.25 million extension to have him signed through the 2027 season.
As of right now, there are no contract terms for McNeill’s extension, other than the fact that it’s an additional four years. McNeill was still on his rookie deal that was set to expire after the 2024 season, so he’s now presumably under contract through the 2028 season.
UPDATE: Per Tom Pelissero, the terms of the deal are in: four years, $97 million with $55 million guaranteed. That’s an average of $24.25 million a year, which ranks fourth among defensive tackles. The only three players making more are Chris Jones ($31.75M/year), Christian Wilkins ($27.5M/year), and Nnamdi Madubuike ($24.5M/year).
This contract extension comes as no surprise. Immediately after the Lions signed left tackle Taylor Decker to an extension this offseason, Lions general manager Brad Holmes noted that McNeill was likely the next player in line.
“He’s another one that Dan (Campbell) and I have talked about it. He’s part of the foundation,” Holmes said. “He was part of our first draft, and again, we’ve gotten Penei (Sewell) done, we’ve gotten (Amon-Ra) St. Brown done, and there’s plenty other guys within that draft class that have played key roles.”
With the recent injury to Aidan Hutchinson, coach Dan Campbell pointed to McNeill as a key player that will need to step up moving forward, and the Lions coach believed he took a big step last Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys when he tallied two sacks.
“He was a man on a mission before the bye, coming out, and he was locked in this week,” Campbell said. “His mind was right, and he was going to be a factor in this game and that’s what we expect every week out of Mac, is just that. So yeah, how much? A lot. And he’s one of those guys we’re going to lean on. He doesn’t have to be Superman, but we’ve got to get that out of him every week, and he’s got that ability. Played a heck of a game yesterday.”
Through three seasons and change, McNeill has a total of 120 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, three passes defended, and a forced fumble. Through six weeks of the NFL season, he’s tied for PFF’s sixth-highest graded defensive tackle, with a 79.8 grade—the highest of his career.
Congrats to McNeill! You’ve earned it!
