The Motor City team is set to open their 2026 NFL season against the New Orleans Saints in a day at Ford Field. Ahead of their first game, the Detroit Lions have made some moves, creating a massive salary cap. However, this is not the first time GM Brad Holmes has done this. Earlier in the 2026 offseason, the Lions restructured their quarterback Jared Goff’s contract to adjust the salary cap.
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This time, however, it’s their star wide receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and left tackle Penei Sewell. The Lions restructured their contracts ahead of their season opener game. According to Over the Cap, this move has created $38.2 million in cap space, placing them right after the San Francisco 49ers ($45.5 million).
Based on the restructuring, the Lions converted $26M from Amon-Ra’s contract into a signing bonus, reducing his cap hit by $20.8M for the 2026 season.
Amon-Ra St. Brown’s cap hit (before contract restructuring):
| Year | Cap hit |
| 2026 | $33,110,000 |
| 2027 | $28,980,000 |
| 2028 | $26,010,000 |
| 2029 | (VOID) $16,700,000 |
Amon-Ra St. Brown’s new cap hit (after contract restructuring):
| Year | Cap hit |
| 2026 | $12,310,000 (down $20,800,000) |
| 2027 | $34,180,000 (up $5.2M) |
| 2028 | $31,210,000 (up $5.2M) |
| 2029 | (VOID) $27,100,000 (up $10.4M) |
In the case of Penie Sewell, GM Brad Holmes converted his $18.6 million salary to a signing bonus, which lowered his cap hit to $18.9 million. Before the move, Sewell was on his first rookie contract extension for four years at $112 million, with 2026 salary as $19.9 million. Now his new salary is $1.3 million.
Penei Sewell’s old cap hit (before contract restructuring):
| Year | Cap hit |
| 2026 | $28,000,000 |
| 2027 | $32,000,000 |
| 2028 | $34,000,000 |
| 2029 | $27,000,000 |
| 2030 | (VOID) $0 |
Penei Sewell’s new cap hit (after contract restructuring):
| Year | Cap hit |
| 2026 | $13,120,000 (down $14,880,0000) |
| 2027 | $35,720,000 (up $3.72M) |
| 2028 | $37,720,000 (up $3.72M) |
| 2029 | $30,720,000 (up $3.72M) |
| 2030 | $3,720,000 (up $3.72M) |
The Detroit Lions moved on with the restructuring to comply with the league’s salary cap right before their Week 1 game against the Saints.
To achieve salary cap compliance, the Lions also waived running back Jabari Small and offensive lineman Seth McLaughlin last week and released defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike on Friday.
According to Mike Florio, this final contract restructuring will put the Detroit Lions as a contender for Maxx Crosby along with Jerry Jones’ Dallas Cowboys, should the 5x Pro Bowl DE end up on a trade block again.
“Crosby has a $30 million salary in 2026. And the Raiders already tried to trade him once this year to the Ravens,” Mike Florio wrote on NBCSports. “If the season unfolds for Las Vegas in the same way that most seasons since 2002 have gone (with the exception of 2016 and 2021), the Raiders may decide to try to trade him again — and Crosby may welcome an in-season move to a contender.”
With the new contracts in place, the Detroit Lions are set to start their season against the Saints on their redemption tour to win the Lombardi Trophy.