The Detroit Lions are a mere few weeks away from having to make some major decisions when it comes to their roster, and as time goes by, there's been a few hints about what needs to happen.
Arguably, the spot on the roster that has the biggest free agency decision is linebacker. Alex Anzalone has been vocal about his need for a new contract, and will be a free agent this offseason. The decision with his future juxtaposes with the emergence of Jack Campbell.
In 2025, Campbell took a leap forward in his play, cracking his first Pro Bowl after a 95 tackle, five sack season. He was even better in terms of the metrics, as Pro Football Focus and writer Mason Cameron revealed him at No. 2 on their list of the top 20 graded linebackers last year.
"Campbell has continually raised the standard of his game each season, rising from a 53.2 PFF overall grade as a rookie to a massive 90.2 mark this past year. The 25-year-old linebacker earned the highest PFF run-defense grade (93.0) by a linebacker in the PFF era (since 2006)."
All of this has combined to leave Campbell in a great place with the Lions. Heading into 2026, it's clear that he is a feature piece of the defense if not the top player overall. Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard recently confirmed this to Colton Pouncey, saying that the defense is now Campbell's, and the team understands this dynamic.
Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard on Jack Campbell: "This is Jack Campbell's defense, and everyone in that locker room knows that."
— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) February 24, 2026
Add it up and it seems the Lions are ready to move on from Anazalone at this point in time. They may have a built-in reason not to spend big at linebacker this offseason other than an extension with Campbell keeping him tied to Detroit for the long-term.
Campbell's emergence for Lions means Anzalone is now expendable
The Lions have other critical holes to consider and major extensions to weigh. That means re-signing Anzalone might not be much of a major priority at this point. When Detroit signed Anzalone in 2021, they were lacking veteran linebacker depth in a big way. His emergence helped stabilize things early in Dan Campbell's tenure.
Now, the Lions have drafted and developed players such as Campbell and Derrick Barnes. They represent the next wave of young veterans who can lead the next generation. A better idea than committing a high-dollar deal to Anzalone would be targeting another younger linebacker in the draft to develop with Campbell and Barnes.
READ MORE: Latest Kayvon Thibodeaux trade rumors should interest the Lions
There's no doubt that Anazlone has meant a great deal to the Lions and has led them out of the doldrums, but at the end of the day, football is a business. The linebacker will turn 32 in September, and an elongated contract would not be likely to age well for a Detroit team that wants to stay young in order to extend their Super Bowl contention window.
When the Lions drafted Campbell in the first-round in 2023, the plan was likely to groom him as the eventual replacement for Anzalone. Fortunately for Detroit, that has worked out more than favorably very fast. The time has come to make a tough decision as a result.