As the teams jostle to secure talented rookie picks at the NFL Combine, they also have one eye on the upcoming draft, scheduled for April 23 to 25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The Detroit Lions will look to bolster their squad ahead of the season, with the NFL announcing a salary cap raise from $279.2 million to $301.2 million in 2025.

However, the Lions face a few financial problems with their current contracts.

They are over $12.2 million in salary cap, and one major reason is the contract of their star quarterback, Jared Goff. Spotrac is estimating that Goff is set for a massive salary hike, from $18 million to $55 million.

Jared Goff had another standout season for the Lions with 4,564 yards and 34 touchdowns.

Despite finishing with a 9-8 record and a bottom-of-the-table finish in the NFC North standings, Goff remains the shining light and key player if the Lions are to progress in the playoffs this upcoming season.

Nobody is doubting the quality Goff possesses, but his jump in salary poses big problems for the Lions in freeing up their cap space. Getting defensive reinforcements at the NFL draft will be at the top of the Lions’ wishlist, but they will need to figure out a solution quickly.

Jared Goff is not the only high-paying player that the Lions have to consider

Other big names at Ford Field are also set to earn big paychecks in their contracts.

Star edge- rusher Aidan Hutchinson will see his salary rise from $5.5 million to $29.5 million. Amon-Ra St. Brown, the star wide receiver, is another player set to receive a bumper hike from $8.3 million to $27.5 million.

Adding to the mix is offensive tackle Penei Sewell, who is set to receive $19.9 million from his base salary of $1.5 million in 2025.

The way forward for the Lions to free cap space is to restructure some of these deals.

According to Christian Romo of the Detroit Free Press, “The more likely way the Lions save money before March is by restructuring current contracts. The simplest way this can be done is by converting some base salary into a signing bonus, which allows the player to still get paid while the team’s cap hit is delayed for later years."

He suggests another way is to wait for retirements, but with players like Taylor Decker confirming his return for an 11^th straight season with the Lions, this does not seem like an option.

The front office will need to act quickly with the draft set to take place in a couple of weeks. Have the Lions got themselves in a tangle ahead of the next season?

Let us know in the comments below, and read more at the Detroit Lions Community!

Written by

Shyam Hari

Edited by

Kalp Thaker