Everyone can take a deep breath: the Lions, as expected, have restructured Jared Goff's contract to create significant cap space this season.
Detroit has converted $40 million of Goff's base salary this year into a signing bonus and added a void year to the end of his deal, lowering his cap hit in 2026 from almost $70 million to $37.6 million, per Over The Cap. In other words: clearing $32 million in cap space.
The move will cost the Lions down the line, tacking on $8 million per year to Goff's cap hit over the next five years, upping it to $16 million in a 2029 void year. But it was baked into their plans as soon as they signed Goff to his four-year, $212 million extension in 2024 and necessary to creating the roster flexibility they need in 2026.
Goff's new cap hits over the final three seasons of his contract where he's scheduled to be on the Lions' roster: $37.6 million, $62.6 million, $69.6 million.
The Lions could also restructure the contracts of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell to create additional cap room in 2026, but, again, at a cost down the line.