One sure sign of progress for the Detroit Lions as they enter the second season of the radical franchise rebuild is the dead salary cap the team is carrying into 2022.
A year after spending over $67 million on over 30 players no longer in Detroit — both of which led the NFL in 2021 — the Lions are in much better financial shape entering training camp of 2022.
The Lions currently have just four players who are no longer on the roster who remain on the salary cap ledger for the coming season. The dead cap figure of just over $20.3 million ranks 15th in the league, another significant improvement in the second season of GM Brad Holmes running the show.
As a reference, the Atlanta Falcons are on the hook for the most dead money in 2022 at $63.2 million. The New York Jets have the lowest dead cap figure at $2.1 million.
