Alex Anzalone 'Disappointed' with Lions Contract Talks Entering Final Year of Deal

Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone isn't thrilled with where things stand in his ongoing contract negotiations with the team.

The 30-year-old told reporters Tuesday he believes he has earned a pay raise. He said he wants to retire as a member of the Lions but that he has been "disappointed" by their approach to the situation.

Anzalone made it clear he's happy to stay in the Motor City and that he has built a strong connection with the city and organization over the previous four seasons.

"I put so much into my time here and being a four-time captain and my teammates and the city and just living here," he said. "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 is in the last year of his contract, which pays him a $6 million base salary and a $100,000 roster bonus for each game. His earnings have fallen out of step with the market at a time when the San Francisco 49ers' Fred Warner and Baltimore Ravens' Roquan Smith are getting $20-plus million a year.

Anzalone and his reps presumably aren't looking to match that figure, but getting up to $10 million or more seems reasonable.

The trouble for Lions general manager Brad Holmes is that he has already handed out some sizable extensions to the team's best contributors. Eight players average at least $11 million annually. That group doesn't include wide receiver Jameson Williams, edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson or tight end Sam LaPorta, who are all headed to free agency in 2027.

Holmes can't keep this roster together forever, and that means moving on from veterans who were responsible for Detroit becoming a playoff contender. Anzalone may eventually fall into that category.