In a move that will save them about $5.5 million in cap space this year, the Lions have released offensive lineman Graham Glasgow, the team announced Monday.
Glasgow was entering the final year of his three-year, $20 million contract with Detroit. He signed it under the impression that he'd be playing right guard for the Lions, where he played well for them in 2023. But Glasgow was bumped to left guard to accommodate Kevin Zeitler in 2024 and to center to replace Frank Ragnow in 2025, and his performance waned.
Glasgow took to X shortly after the announcement of his release to express his gratitude for the seven years he spent with the Lions, the organization that drafted him in the third round out of Michigan in 2016: "I’m thankful for the great teammates, coaches, and friends I had along the way. I love this city and the fans that have supported me for the better part of a decade. There truly was no place I would have rather been."
"Whether the times were good or bad, I’m proud of the time that I was able to spend here. Detroit and being a Lion has had a huge impact on making me into the man that I am today, and because of that, it will always hold a special place in my heart," Glasgow said.
For the Lions, the outlook at center doesn't really change: they still need an upgrade in 2026. They might have found one in Juice Scruggs, acquired from the Texans as part of the David Montgomery trade. Scruggs has a spotty track record in the NFL, but he was a second-round pick in 2023 who graded out better at center for Houston than at guard. He started 14 games in the middle of the Texans' offensive line in 2024, including a playoff win.
The Lions could also look to fortify the center position in free agency or the draft, where there's a few intriguing options who could go late on Day 2 or on Day 3.
"I wish the Lions, especially my former teammates, nothing but the best," said Glasgow. "I will always be a fan of the guys who I took the field with, and I’ll always be a fan of the team that changed my life. Thank you!"