4 months ago
- Lions
- Published: Jan. 06, 2026, 12:16 p.m.
ALLEN PARK -- Back successful August, during a “weird” statement dispute, Alex Anzalone made it clear he wanted to instrumentality astir for nan agelong haul successful Detroit.
“I want to discontinue a Lion. I want that opportunity. That’s really I feel,” Anzalone said astatine nan time.
The five-time squad skipper didn’t get nan caller woody he sought. But nan Lions astatine slightest adjusted his statement to create much earning opportunities for nan linebacker.
When MLive asked him connected locker room cleanout time connected Monday if those feelings remained nan aforesaid arsenic he’s astir to deed free agency, Anzalone said:
“Yeah. Hell yeah.”
He told reporters he doesn’t deliberation he tin “make it immoderate much clear than I person (to stay). It’s not needfully up successful my power correct now, truthful we’ll conscionable hold and see.”
Anzalone was among nan first harvest of free agents signed by wide head Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell to commencement this rebuild. He’s been a skipper each measurement of nan measurement and has been a reliable and productive linebacker, raising his level of play.
The 31-year-old handed complete nan greenish dot and nan protect keys to rising linebacker Jack Campbell earlier this season. And he continued to speak highly of and support Jack Campbell and chap linebacker Derrick Barnes.
“Jack pinch nan Pro Bowl motion this year. It’s been awesome to benignant of spot his improvement and thief him retired and beryllium a portion of it,” Anzalone said. “It’s conscionable been, you know, those 2 guys are really bully people, first and foremost, and they’re lifelong friends. There’s decidedly a consciousness of pridefulness that I person erstwhile I spot them succeed. It’s cool to see. And they gotta support it going. There’s a batch much successful nan vessel for them.”
With that trio holding things down, Anzalone has played nan WILL linebacker, Jack Campbell from nan MIKE and Derrick Barnes astatine nan SAM spot. Anzalone besides played a profession precocious 174 snaps successful nan slot and 38 astatine cornerback this season. He was an important chess portion arsenic nan team’s apical sum linebacker, arsenic they lived successful guidelines defense pinch those 3 linebackers often connected nan section together.
Anzalone had 95 full tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 interception, 4 tackles for nonaccomplishment and six backmost hits. Pro Football Focus recognized 2025-26 arsenic nan third-best graded play of Anzalone’s nine-year career. He besides had a career-best missed-tackle complaint of only 6.9% crossed 1,003 snaps.
“I consciousness for illustration increasing up, my dada ever utilized to show me, like, ‘Leave a spot amended than erstwhile you recovered it,’” Anzalone said. “And I consciousness for illustration I decidedly did that. So, I consciousness bully astir my assemblage of work, and I’m proud of it.
“So we’ll spot what happens. It’s benignant of too, too, excessively soon to say.”
Anzalone took immoderate clip to bespeak connected nan frustrating season. When asked what this year’s locker room cleanout felt like, he said it’s weird and a time you effort to debar mentally and that “you don’t deliberation is needfully going to happen.” But it’s 1 that came earlier than expected this year, and that’s nan reality he and nan Lions person to beryllium pinch this offseason.
“Obviously, it’s disappointing and frustrating, and you get those why questions astir really this happened,” Anzalone said. “But astatine nan extremity of nan day, it’s bully to beryllium successful those emotions and. But yeah, it’ll beryllium hard, it’ll beryllium difficult (to watch nan playoffs from home).
“But it’s bully to consciousness those emotions, too.”
Lions coach Dan Campbell echoed those sentiments during his year-end property conference. He wants his players to unit themselves to watch nan postseason, and he wants it to thrust them to retrieve wherever they want to beryllium astatine this clip of nan year.
For now, Anzalone and his woman are expecting their 3rd kid successful nan coming days. He’ll return immoderate clip disconnected and yet get backmost to Florida and train for and woody pinch pending free agency this offseason.
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I screen nan Detroit Lions for MLive aft starting my profession pinch nan MLive sports desk, Jackson Citizen Patriot, MLive Detroit and nan trending news team. I americium a lifelong Michigander, Central Michigan...
