The Detroit Lions are entering an important week as they look to find the pieces that prevented them from making the playoffs in 2025. With the NFL’s legal tampering window opening on Monday and the start of the new league year set for Wednesday, the Lions are expected to be busy, especially when it comes to looking for a new center.
But if general manager Brad Holmes was preparing to take a big swing, he may have been surprised to see the Green Bay Packers agree to a three-year, $33 million contract extension with Sean Rhyan on Sunday morning, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
With the extension reportedly worth up to $39 million in incentives, it creates a large ripple effect in the center market. It also means that the Lions will have to act quickly if they want to land a top center when free agency begins this week.
Packers’ Sean Rhyan Overpay Should Have Lions on Their Toes Entering Free Agency
The free agent market had a few quality options at center going into the offseason, but it appears most of them have already committed to where they’ll be playing in 2026. Two names were taken off the market when Tyler Biadasz signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers and Connor McGovern reached a four-year, $52 million contract with the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. But another came off the board when the Packers generously rewarded Rhyan with just nine starts at the center position.
The latter move could have big consequences across the league. While Rhyan performed admirably after filling in for Elgton Jenkins midway through the 2025 campaign, he didn’t put up numbers worthy of an elite center, posting a 59.2 overall grade, 65.6 run-blocking grade, and allowing 29 pressures and a sack on 480 pass-blocking snaps according to Pro Football Focus.
Still, Rhyan’s annual average value of $11 million per season puts him fifth among centers before the start of free agency, and it leaves Cade Mays and Tyler Linderbaum as the top targets entering the week.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Baltimore Ravens are working to sign Tyler Linderbaum to an extension before the league’s legal tampering period begins on Monday. But if he hits the market, he will have it “cornered” and the final contract “should easily surpass $20 million per season.” The Lions could also pivot to Cade Mays of the Carolina Panthers, but he looks destined to sign quickly and get a larger number than his $12.3 million market value projected by Spotrac.
Regardless, the Lions will have to move quickly if they want either top center, especially after the Chicago Bears traded for Garrett Bradbury on Friday. Detroit has some options after acquiring Juice Scruggs in the David Montgomery trade and teasing a position change for Tate Ratledge since the moment he was drafted. But the Lions can't afford to miss the opportunity to upgrade the position when free agency kicks off.
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