Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill (54) and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Tyleik Williams (91) react after the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Nov 16, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill (54) and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Tyleik Williams (91) react after the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
When it comes to Detroit Lions players who didn’t live up to their contract in the 2025 season, none were more glaring than defensive lineman Alim McNeill. The defender was handed a four-year, $97 million extension a year ago, which set up McNeill with the expectations of producing at the level of the league’s stars at the position. Instead, the lineman regressed, only managing to play 10 games during the 2025 campaign while offering incredibly limited production.
McNeill was limited to a single sack and a trio of quarterback hits on the season, pointing to what a rarity it was to see the lineman in the backfield. This was further evidenced by McNeill’s Pro Football Focus rating that landed at 51.6, ranking McNeill 92nd out of 134 qualifying players. Detroit is paying the lineman to be one of the team’s top performers, and instead, the defender is a profound dissapointment failing to live up to his contract or past production.
For the Lions, there really isn’t an escape from the contract until the 2027 offseason. The recency of the signing makes any potential cut far too expensive, with dead cap hits for the 2026 and 2027 seasons outweighing the idea of parting ways with an underperforming player. This buys McNeill a bit of time, but doesn’t lessen the frustration for a Lions defense that badly needs its defensive interior to play at a more consistent level.
Alim McNeill Fails to Live up to Extension in Underwhelming 2025 Season
McNeill had star performers around him as well, with Aidan Hutchinson and Al-Quadin Muhammad. The star pass rushers combined for 25.5 sacks on the 2025 season and demanded attention even as the rest of Detroit’s defense struggled to find a level of consistency due to underperforming players and injuries. For the Lions, McNeill being unable to perform while being surrounded by such explosive edge talent is a major concern.
Only four linemen in the league have a deal worth more in total value than what the Lions gave McNeill. These players are Chris Jones, Milton Williams, Zach Allen, and Nnamdi Madubuike, pointing out that McNeill is being included among the league’s elite at the position while performing at a level that is below average.
Daron Payne, Jeffrey Simmons, and Derrick Brown are all examples of star contributors whose total contract value is below that of McNeill. This exposes the regression as well as the clear overpay from the Lions. Fans simply have to hope that McNeill can turn the corner and return to the player he once was. There simply isn’t a realistic path to escaping the contract, leaving McNeill a chance at redemption after what was an incredibly underwhelming 2025 season.
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