The NFL has announced the official salary cap figure for the 2025 season, which stands at $279.2 million per team. Detroit Lions General Manager Brad Holmes spoke to the press about the team’s plans for the upcoming season, highlighting the challenges of managing the roster and making tough decisions on player contracts. With several key players, including defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson and wideout Jameson Williams, becoming extension-eligible this offseason, the team must carefully consider its financial commitments.
Holmes acknowledged the difficulty of balancing the desire to retain talented players with the need to manage the salary cap. “You have to make decisions on other players contractually that you might not be able to keep that you want to keep,” he said. The team is currently in the planning phases of negotiating a lucrative extension for Hutchinson, with safety Kerby Joseph also potentially in line for a long-term deal.
The Lions’ front office must navigate the complexities of roster management, taking into account the impact of this year’s decisions on future seasons. “That stuff starts adding up, and you’ve got to make some tough decisions,” Holmes noted. With the salary cap increasing by $23.8 million from last season, the Lions are projected to have $51.6 million in total cap space and $48.9 million in effective cap space, according to OverTheCap estimates.