Updated March 9, 2026, 1:38 p.m. ET
Alex Anzalone got here to the Detroit Lions in 2021 hoping to flip them into winners. Now, he’ll attempt to put the Tampa Bay Buccaneers excessive.
Anzalone agreed to a reported two-year contract value $17 million together with his hometown Bucs on Monday afternoon in the beginning of the 2026 NFL free agency negotiating period. The deal won’t develop into official till the brand new league yr opens at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the New York Jets and New York Giants had been additionally .
Anzalone, 31, was one of many first free-agent signings by coach Dan Campbell and normal supervisor in 2021, and has been a staple of the Lions protection since.
He led the workforce with a career-high 125 tackles in 2022, topped that with 129 stops in 2023, and after lacking time with a damaged forearm in 2024 had 95 tackles and a career-high 9 move breakups final season.
But the veteran linebacker has appeared headed for a breakup with the Lions since final yr, when he skipped offseason exercises in a contract dispute and received only a slight bump in pay when he returned to observe in coaching camp.
A four-time workforce captain, Anzalone performed on two straight one-year offers in 2021-22 earlier than signing a three-year, $18.75 million extension in 2023. He advised the Free Press in December last year’s contract dispute wouldn’t prevent him from returning to Detroit.
“Just business,” he said. “I want to come back, but … I got to do what’s best for me and my family when it comes time. We’ll see what that is. Hopefully it’s here.”
The Lions maintained some interest in re-signing Anzalone again this offseason, but already are heavily invested at the linebacker position. They gave Derrick Barnes a three-year, $25.5 million extension last spring at the start of free agency and are expected to lavish Jack Campbell with a new contract this offseason that makes him one of the highest-paid linebackers in the NFL.
The Lions, who went 9-8 last season and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2022, do not have any other linebackers currently under contract for 2026.
Tampa Bay finished 8-9 in 2025 to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
News broke across the identical time that we discovered Lions cornerback Amik Robertson agreed to a two-year deal with the Washington Commanders.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
