NFL Rumors: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions Scheduled to Discuss New Contract at Combine

After making a run to the NFC Championship this past season, the Detroit Lions are hoping to keep one of their top offensive players locked up for the foreseeable future.

According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions "would like to sign" star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to a contract extension this offseason and plan to meet with his representatives this week at the NFL Combine.

St. Brown is entering his fourth NFL season and the final year of his rookie contract. He's scheduled to make $3.3 million in 2024, but he has proved that he's worth much more.

The 24-year-old was named to his second straight Pro Bowl after tying for second in the NFL with 119 receptions, ranking third with 1,515 yards and tying for fourth with 10 touchdowns. He earned first-team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career.

Birkett added that while a new deal for St. Brown is not imminent at the moment, "the Lions have made it clear they intend to invest in their own roster this offseason." General manager Brad Holmes explained the thought process he shares with head coach Dan Campbell earlier this week.

"It's not just, 'Oh, you drafted them and you know them so even if they're not performing well and they're not meeting expectations that you just keep them,'" he said. "No, it's that you try your best to acquire the right players through the draft and hopefully the goal is to develop and then once they get to a point where they're eligible to re-sign, you re-sign them and you feel really, really good about it."

In addition to St. Brown, fellow 2021 draft picks Penei Sewell and Alim McNeill are eligible for contract extensions this offseason. The Lions have also prioritized an extension for quarterback Jared Goff.

It won't be easy for Detroit to keep its core together, but Holmes is surely motivated to keep players like St. Brown in the fold for as long as possible.