Dan Campbell refuses to believe that Alex Anzalone is sitting out of practice until he gets a new contract. The Lions say he's yet to hit the field in camp due to a hamstring injury he suffered while acing the team's conditioning test. But Anzalone painted a pretty clear picture when he spoke with reporters after watching Tuesday's practice from the sidelines and had this to say when asked about his contract: "Ask Dan and Brad."
Anzalone, the Lions' four-time co-captain and starting linebacker, feels he's underpaid at his position and is seeking a new deal. Will he practice in camp without one?
"Uh, I mean, I’m just taking this day to day right now," he said. "We’ll see. I have no clue."
Anzalone, who turns 31 in September, is entering the final season of a three-year, $18.3 million contract. He ranks outside the 30 highest-paid linebackers in the NFL. This offseason, he watched his close friend and fellow linebacker Derrick Barnes land a three-year, $24 million deal from the Lions despite a less impressive resume. The market at the position has risen with the salary cap at the same time that Anzalone has played the best football of his career.
To the idea that he's underpaid, Anzalone said, "It’s just kind of obvious, I think. Production, play, the market."
Since following Dan Campbell, and Aaron Glenn, from the Saints to the Lions in 2021, Anzalone has been an central piece in Detroit's rise into contention. His value to the team was painfully clear when the defense fell off a cliff after he broke his forearm last November, and when he returned in the season finale for what he called a "legacy game" and helped the Lions win the NFC North for the second year in a row.
Asked how he hopes the situation at hand gets resolved, Anzalone said, "I want to retire a Lion. I want that opportunity. And that’s how I feel."
"I put so much into my time here, being a four-time captain. My teammates, the city, and just living here, you can list all the reasons," he said. "It's just important to me. I love this place. I want that opportunity."
Anzalone said he expressed that desire to Lions GM Brad Holmes "long ago" and acknowledged that he's surprised they've yet to reach an agreement on a new deal: "This is a weird situation. And it wasn’t on my end. Or my agent’s end."
"I’m disappointed," said Anzalone, "I’ll just say that. I’m disappointed."
Holmes and the Lions have set a precedent for taking care of their own, and not just their young stars like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, Alim McNeill and Kerby Joseph, not to mention quarterback Jared Goff, who's served as Anzalone's counterpart on the offensive side of the ball. The Lions have also worked out lighter extensions for vets Taylor Decker, Graham Glasgow and David Montgomery.
The latter is what Anzalone is seeking. Asked about putting the team first during his time in Detroit, he said, "I feel like I’ve done that a lot through my four years here and I’m just in a situation where you want to be rewarded for that, at least in some regard."
From a production standpoint, a comparison for Anzalone is Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton, who signed a three-year, $45 million deal this offseason -- which Anzalone duly noted on X. Over the last three seasons, Bolton has 346 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 12 passes defended and 5.0 sacks.
Anzalone, over the same stretch, has 317 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 17 passes defended and 5.5 sacks.
Bolton is five years younger and still has room to grow, and Anzalone likely isn't gunning for the same sort of deal. But could a two-year, $20 million extension get it done?
Anzalone said he pondered holding out of training camp entirely, but "for my own personal goals and what I want for the team, I didn’t think it was the best scenario." The Lions are trying to go from contenders to champions after winning the most games in the NFL the past two seasons but coming up short in the playoffs, including a flameout at home last season against the Commanders.
"We have a chance to win the Super Bowl and I want to be a part of it," said Anzalone.
Asked if his hold-in could drag into the season and keep him out of games, Anzalone said, "No, no. No."
As for the nature of his talks -- or lack thereof -- with the Lions, Anzalone finished where he began: "You're going to have to ask Dan and Brad. I'm not going to comment on that."