When it comes to financial matters, things have gotten more difficult for the Detroit Lions in recent years.
General manager Brad Holmes has done a phenomenal job drafting since he took over back in 2021, but that has also led to the Lions having to dish out several lucrative deals in that span, and more are on the way.
It has gotten so expensive that Holmes admitted he simply couldn’t afford to keep edge rusher Za’Darius Smith, even though the Lions desperately need him for another Super Bowl push.
In order to ease the burden in the short term, Holmes has structured several of the team’s contracts with void years. In fact, only six teams in the league have used void years in contracts more than the Lions.
According to Spotrac, Detroit has 12 players on its roster with void years on their deals.
The six teams with more are the New Orleans Saints (21), Philadelphia Eagles (20), Cleveland Browns (19), Buffalo Bills, (18), San Francisco 49ers (17) and Miami Dolphins (15).
Of course, the problem with void years is that at some point down the road, the bill comes in, which can create a disastrous financial situation when it all hits.
The Saints are the epitome of that. New Orleans has been kicking the can down the road for far too long now as the franchise simply refuses to rebuild, which has routinely led to the team being strapped for funds.
The Saints were bailed out by the retirement of quarterback Derek Carr this year, but New Orleans is still projected to be over the salary cap in 2026 before finally getting some space in 2027.
The Eagles, Bills and 49ers have been able to compete at a high level thanks to the strategy, but those teams have also had to make some tough decisions with good players in recent years in order to not let things get out of control.
Having void years on contracts can be dangerous, but it just depends on how the team goes about it. We tend to believe Holmes will be just fine in navigating the approach.
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