Lions captain Alex Anzalone ‘disappointed’ by state of contract negotiations with Detroit

Though he said he wishes to retire as a member of the team, Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone admitted he was “disappointed” with the state of contract negotiations between himself and the team as he enters the final year of his current deal. Anzalone, entering his ninth year in the NFL, is entering the final year of a three-year, $18.75 million contract he signed with the Lions in 2023.

Anzalone has yet to practice early in Lions training camp as he deals with a hamstring injury, and he let on while speaking to reporters that he felt the state of negotiations was a “weird situation” given his contributions to the team over the last four years, in which the Lions have been transformed from a perennial doormat into Super Bowl contenders. While he did not get into specifics, other than that he has felt underpaid relative to other NFL linebackers, he shared that the hangup in negotiations “wasn’t on my end or my agent’s end.”

Anzalone, who will turn 31 in September, has served as a trusted core player and team captain under coach Dan Campbell, first on the New Orleans Saints and now on the Lions, which he joined in 2021 when Campbell was hired as head coach. Anzalone shared that his intentions are for Detroit to be the last place he ever plays, citing his emotional investment in both the team and the area.

“I want to retire a Lion. I want that opportunity. That’s how I feel,” Anzalone told reporters. “… I put so much into my time here, and being a four-time captain and my teammates and the city and just living here — You could list all the reasons, but it’s just important to me. I feel like I love this place, and I want that opportunity.”

Anzalone’s comments come after Campbell shared that he did not believe the veteran linebacker was holding in and not practicing due to his contract. As far as a potential holdout, Anzalone shared that he did not anticipate sitting out any regular-season games due to his contract dispute.