After a deep run through the postseason, the Detroit Lions’ tremendous 2023 season finally came to a close, and the organization is shifting to the 2024 offseason.

While the Lions have already signed 12 players to futures contracts, they still have 39 players who finished the season on the roster—on either the 53-man roster, practice squad, or injured reserve—that are not currently under contract with the organization.

Let’s take a look at the four different groups those 39 players can fall into, as well as which players land in those groups.

20 unrestricted free agents (UFA)

Unrestricted free agents are players on expiring contracts who have at least four accrued seasons of NFL experience. While they do not currently hold a contract with the Lions, Detroit can negotiate a potential new deal at any time. If they have not reached an agreement with the Lions by March 11, 2024—when the free agent tampering period begins—these players below can begin negotiations with other NFL franchises.

• QB Teddy Bridgewater — Retiring, accepted job as a high school coach
• QB Nate Sudfeld
• WR Josh Reynolds
• WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
• TE Anthony Firkser
• OL Dan Skipper
• OT Matt Nelson
• OG Jonah Jackson
• OG/C Graham Glasgow
• OG Halapoulivaati Vaitai
• DL Tyson Alualu
• EDGE Romeo Okwara
• EDGE Charles Harris
• LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
• CB Emmanuel Moseley
• CB Kindle Vildor
• DB Will Harris
• DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson
• K Michael Badgley
• LS Jake McQuaide

6 street free agents (SFA)

Street free agents are players who finished the season on the Lions practice squad but were not offered a futures contract. Because practice squad contracts expire seven days after a team’s final game, the Lions practice players are set to become SFAs on Monday, February 5.

The difference between a UFA and an SFA is that SFAs do not have to wait until March to negotiate a contract with another team, as they are immediately eligible to open up contract talks with all 32 teams.

• QB David Blough
• RB Mohamed Ibrahim
• FB Jason Cabinda
• TE Zach Ertz
• OL Michael Schofield
• EDGE Julian Okwara

Of note, OT Max Pircher finished the season on the Lions practice squad but is scheduled to return to the NFL’s international program.

6 restricted free agents (RFA)

Restricted free agents are players on expiring contracts but they only have three accrued seasons in the NFL. Like with UFAs and SFAs, the Lions can enter contract negotiations at any time, but they also have the ability to offer a one-year tender to each of these players.

The one-year tenders fall into three categories—first-round, second-round, and original-round tenders—and their contractual value varies depending on which tender is applied and when the player was or was not drafted.

If these players are offered a tender by the Lions, the player can accept the one-year deal or they can negotiate a contract with another team during the free agency period. Suppose an agreement with another organization is reached. In that case, the Lions have the option to match the offer or allow the player to sign elsewhere and receive the appropriate compensation for the tender.

• TE Brock Wright
• DT Benito Jones
• LB Anthony Pittman
• CB Jerry Jacobs
• CB Khalil Dorsey
• LS Scott Daly

6 exclusive rights free agents (ERFA)

Exclusive rights free agents are players on expiring contracts but they have less than three years of accrued experience in the NFL. Like with RFAs, the Lions can offer these players a qualifying tender, but unlike RFAs, there is only one tender option and the player is not allowed to negotiate with another team unless the Lions opt to release them from that restriction.

That means, if the Lions offer an ERFA a one-year tender, that player can either accept the offer and play for the Lions or sit out the season. If the Lions do not offer the player a tender, that player becomes a UFA and can negotiate a contract with other teams during the March free agency period.

• RB Craig Reynolds
• RB Zonovan Knight
• TE Shane Zylstra
• OG Kayode Awosika
• EDGE James Houston
• NB Chase Lucas

We have the full overview of the Lions roster and current contract situations in our 2024 Detroit Lions depth chart/contract tracker.