The Detroit Lions are returning a big piece of their linebacking room, agreeing to terms with pending free agent Derrick Barnes on a three-year deal that will keep him in Detroit through the 2027 season.
Barnes’ deal is worth $25.5 million, with $16 million fully guaranteed at signing, a source confirmed to The Detroit News. Barnes, who spent most of the 2024 season on injured reserve due to a knee injury suffered in Week 3, has seen significant growth over each of his first four seasons and was Detroit’s starting SAM linebacker.
Barnes was one of a handful of pending free agents from general manager Brad Holmes’ first draft class. Defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike and safety Ifeatu Melifonwu remain unsigned. Offensive tackle Penei Sewell, defensive tackle Alim McNeill and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown have all signed big-money deals in the last 12 months.
Since entering the league in 2021, Barnes has steadily improved as an off-ball linebacker — he was a pass-rushing edge during his college career at Purdue — and saw his greatest jump in 2023, when he sent Detroit to the NFC Championship by intercepting Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield to seal a divisional-round win.
Barnes was poised for another big step in 2024; though it was a small sample size, he seemed to greatly improve his run defense and was a threat off the edge as a pass rusher. His season came to an end when Arizona Cardinals tight end Tip Reimann put a helmet into Barnes’ knee on a cut block in the second quarter.
For Barnes, the timing couldn’t have been worse. But in the end, a season-ending knee injury in a contract year didn’t seem to impact what the Lions were willing to pay him. Barnes’ contract will carry an average annual value of $8.5 million.
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