The Detroit Lions have had quite the busy offseason. 

They’ve added a multitude of players at positions of need, including cornerback Carlton Davis III via trade and EDGE Marcus Davenport, defensive lineman D.J. Reader and offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler in free agency.

Plus, they’ve inked franchise quarterback Jared Goff (four years, $212 million) and All-Pros Penei Sewell (four years, $112 million) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (four years, $120 million) to massive contract extensions. Goff’s multi-year extension, which includes a staggering $170 million in guaranteed money, is the richest contract ever handed out by the Lions.

Headed into the 2024 season, Sewell is set to make the highest average annual salary for an offensive lineman ($28 million a year). Meanwhile, St. Brown sits at No. 2 among receivers in average annual value at north of $30M per season ($30,002,500).

As a team, the Lions, per Over the Cap, will enter the upcoming season with $203,015,317 in salary committed to their 51 most expensive players (the 22nd-highest salary in the NFL). Plus, the organization possesses the fourth-most cap space in the league ($31,096,540).

Additionally, Detroit currently owes $23,056,507 in dead-cap money (the 17th-highest number in the league).  

To no surprise, Goff – with a cap hit of $27,211,832 – is set to cost the most against the Lions’ salary cap in ‘24.

Let’s take a look now at the 10 players that will incur the biggest cap hits for Detroit this upcoming season (numbers from Over the Cap): 

1.) QB Jared Goff – $27,211,832

2.) LT Taylor Decker – $19,100,000

3.) C Frank Ragnow – $12,800,000

4.) CB Cam Sutton (released) – $12,680,000

5.) EDGE Aidan Hutchinson – $9,740,015

6.) RT Penei Sewell – $8,167,885

7.) LB Alex Anzalone – $7,444,118

8.) RB David Montgomery – $6,786,765

9.) OL Kevin Zeitler – $5,940,000

10.) DL D.J. Reader – $5,303,000

The latest estimate by the Census Bureau puts the population of Detroit at 633,218, just a smidge higher than the previous count of 631,366. But the uptick of fewer than 2,000 people from 2022 to 2023 is noteworthy nonetheless—it marks the first time since 1957 that the city’s population has increased, reports the New York Times. Back in the 1950s, the city had nearly 2 million people and was the fourth-biggest in the nation, notes the AP. But it had been on a steady decline since, at least until the latest figures came out.

“This is a great day,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “Many big cities in the country have been losing population year after year,” he added, per the Detroit Free Press. “To have Detroit be growing is a pretty major change.” Duggan and the city have previously challenged the agency’s count, and the Detroit newspaper digs into the particulars. Among other things, the city says the agency has been too focused on demolition and not on subsequent rebuilding. Detroit now ranks as the 26th most populous city in the nation, up from 29th in 2022. (More Detroit stories.)