Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell Reportedly Restructure Lions Contracts, Updated NFL Salary Cap

One day before kicking off the 2026 NFL season, the Detroit Lions restructured the contracts for Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell to clear cap space.

Per Spotrac's Michael Ginnitti, the restructures cleared $35.6 million against the cap for the Lions.

Detroit now has the second-most cap room available at just over $39 million. The San Francisco 49ers have the most cap space with roughly $49 million available.

Sewell is now set to count against the Lions' cap through the 2030 season with the final year being a void year worth $3.7 million.

He will only be 29 when his contract expires, so it's a safe bet he will get a new deal at some point as long as he stays healthy and continues to play at a high level.

St. Brown's deal has three void years that run through 2031. He can become a free agent after the 2028 season when he will also be 29 years old.

In addition to giving themselves some breathing room against the cap going into the start of the season, the Lions have also afforded themselves some flexibility if they want to make a significant in-season acquisition.

Detroit could also opt to roll over its unused cap space this season into 2027. The Lions currently have $97 million in cap room next year, but they currently only have 29 players under contract.

Sam LaPorta is the only key starter who is set to become a free agent after this season. Jared Goff could be in line for a new deal since his cap number jumps up to $62.6 million in 2027.

Whatever the plan ends up being, the Lions have set themselves up to be active during the season and next offseason if they choose to do so.

In the meantime, the Lions will kickoff their 2026 season on Sunday when they host the New Orleans Saints at Ford Field. Head coach Dan Campbell is 2-3 in season openers in his first five seasons with Detroit.