The NFL released new information regarding the salary cap and other contract figures Friday. As a result, teams will know the amounts they have available for upcoming free agency. In the case of the Detroit Lions, general manager Brad Holmes is expected to have around $55 million to spend when free agency begins in March. Additionally, they learned the amount that it will cost to exercise the fifth-year option on offensive tackle Penei Sewell. The NFL designates the cost of fifth-year options based on performance through a player’s first three years. Players who achieve Pro Bowl status are entitled to increased amounts.
All players who are drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft are eligible for fifth-year options. Because Sewell has been selected to one Pro Bowl, he is in line to receive $19.04 million. He has participated in two Pro Bowls, but was named an alternate in 2022. The Oregon product has been dynamite since entering the league as Detroit’s seventh overall pick in 2021. In addition to his Pro Bowl honors, he achieved first-team All-Pro status in 2023.
