The detroit lions have already re-signed two of their own free agents, kicker michael badgley and linebacker/special teams ace jalen reeves-maybin.
We also know the no. 82 from last year. Teddy bridgewater, a 2 quarterback, is retiring to become the head coach at his high school alma mater.
Even as lions general manager brad holmes prioritizes keeping their own, a look at the list of free agents sparks some debate about who will be re-signed. There are plenty of others who are unlikely to return for good reason.
Khalil dorsey, a free agent with exclusive rights, has been reported to have declined a deal and will become a free agent. For some of the other lions’ free agents, they won’t be back in detroit, and the demand for their services elsewhere could be prohibitive. It could even be ineffectual.
If they can’t find a new team and the lions don’t want them back, their football playing careers could well end up being over. When it comes to it, these three lions’ free agents could be forced to retire this offseason.
3 Detroit Lions free agents who might be forced to retire.
It’s likely that none of these three Detroit Lions free agents will return, and it’s possible that their NFL careers could end altogether.
3. QB Nate Sudfeld
After torn acl in the lions’ preseason finale, qb nate sudfeld spent the 2023 season on ir. In 2022, he played in two games as jared goff’s backup, but without a pass attempt. With david blough, like bridgewater, retiring to work in coaching, and hendon hooker, who is now in contention to be the no. 1).
There’s an argument for re-signing sudfeld for next season based on his experience with the lions’ offense, as jeremy reisman of pride of detroit pointed out.
Sudfeld is in his acl recovery about six months after the accident. If the lions want to add an experienced no. 0 to their roster, they will need a new no. 0 to start. There are healthier (if not better) options out there for a 3/emergency quarterback in the mix, and they certainly will at some point.
Other teams will say the same thing. Sudfeld has 37 regular season pass attempts (14 since being drafted in 2016). He’s now recovering from a serious injury.
Sudfeld could be done with $11.6 million in career earnings for someone who has actually completed eight seasons of pass attempts.
