The 2024 offseason has been defined by the Lions’ willingness to extend several in-house players. Each of the team’s major new deals worked out over the past few months have come on the offensive side of the ball, and attention has now turned to one of Detroit’s ascending defenders.

Lions general manager Brad Holmes confirmed defensive tackle Alim McNeill is firmly on the team’s extension radar. That has been known throughout the summer, but Detroit has had other priorities to deal with. Now that the bulk of the roster is set in advance of Week 1, negotiations on a second contract with the 24-year-old are set to begin.

“We haven’t had anything intense going on from a dialogue standpoint, but his camp knows that we want to get something done,” Holmes said (via Jared Ramsey of the Detroit Free Press). “But, it’s very [much] in the infancy stage right now.”

McNeill has one year remaining on his rookie contract, and his play in 2023 set him up for a potential payday. The former third-rounder notched a career-high five sacks last season, adding 13 pressures and 10 quarterback hits. He again served as a full-time starter, and his production is particularly notable since he missed four games due to an MCL injury. Healthy in time for the postseason, McNeill was again a regular presence along interior for all three of Detroit’s playoffs games.

The Lions added to their D-line by signing Marcus Davenport as a veteran complement to edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. Detroit also added D.J. Reader on the open market. The former Bengals run-stuffer should take on a first-team role when healthy, and he could form an effective tandem with McNeill. Last month, it was confirmed extension talks with the NC State product would take place relatively soon.

Time still remains between now and the start of the regular season for the Lions and McNeill to work out a deal. Given the nature of Holmes’ latest comments on the subject, though, it would come as a surprise if an agreement were to be worked out in the coming days. Negotiations could carry over into the fall, or McNeill’s camp could choose to play out the coming season with the hopes of another productive season upping his trade value. It will be interesting to see how much progress is made now that formal talks are underway.

This offseason has brought significant contractual developments in Detroit. The team has authorized multiple record-setting extensions — for Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown — and paid Jared Goff at a top-market rate. Taylor Decker joined in on the extension spree Monday, becoming a Bob Quinn-era draftee to be paid by the now-Brad Holmes-run team.

Sewell, St. Brown and Goff arrived during Holmes’ first year, and the recently extended GM has another of his 2021 investments on the radar to be a long-term Lion. After a rumor suggested Alim McNeill was in the Lions’ extension plans, Holmes confirmed that is the case.

“He’s another one that Dan [Campbell] and I have talked about it. He’s part of the foundation,” Holmes said of McNeill during an appearance on 97.1 The Ticket’s Costa & Jansen with Heather show (h/t Pride of Detroit). “He was part of our first draft, and again, we’ve gotten Penei done, we’ve gotten St. Brown done, and there’s plenty other guys within that draft class that have played key roles.

“But Alim, the way that he’s developed his game, he does everything right; he’s a total pro, and he’s extremely talented. So he’s another one that, it’s about time. So we’ll get talks going at some point and hopefully try to get something done.”

A third-round pick in 2021, McNeill has started 36 games for the Lions. The interior D-lineman has been Aidan Hutchinson‘s steadiest sidekick up front and took a step forward last season. McNeill totaled career-high numbers in sacks (five) and QB hits (10) while matching his 2022 tackle for loss total (six) despite a short IR stint due to an MCL injury. McNeill, 24, then added another sack in the NFC championship game.

Although McNeill did not rank in the top 20 in pass rush win rate, Pro Football Focus viewed him as one of the better DTs against the run and pass and slotted him seventh overall at the position. That marked a notable improvement from 2022. The Lions did just pay D.J. Reader in free agency, giving the former Texans and Bengals starter a two-year, $22MM deal. That contract, however, comes with $7.43MM guaranteed. Reader is due a $4MM roster bonus if he is on Detroit’s roster by Day 3 of the 2025 league year. Hutchinson will also need to be paid, becoming extension-eligible in 2025. While that will complicate matters for McNeill, Reader may not be in the picture by the time Hutchinson’s cap numbers — from an eventual extension — begin to spike.

The Lions’ above-referenced extensions stand to also make it challenging to complete a McNeill deal, and the NC State alum could increase his value with a quality contract year. It sounds like the Lions will attempt to pay him early, which would represent quite the early commitment to a single draft class. That said, Holmes’ 2021 investments played lead roles in the team completing a remarkable turnaround. McNeill being extended would round out one of the most memorable offseasons in Lions history.

The 2024 Lions offseason has been defined in large part by big-ticket extensions handed out on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Jared Goff, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and right tackle Penei Sewell all signed deals which will keep them in Detroit for the foreseeable future.

Several other candidates for extensions remain, though. Among those is Alim McNeill, who has developed into a mainstay along the Lions’ defensive line (a unit which added D.J. Reader in free agency). The 24-year-old is set to enter the final season of his rookie contract, making him eligible for a new deal. The degree to which he has progressed so far likely has him on the team’s extension radar, Colton Pouncy of The Athletic writes (subscription required).

McNeill’s play in 2024 will go a long way in determining his value on a new Lions pact, and Pouncy adds Detroit’s plans with other pending free agents (such as left tackle Taylor Decker and cornerback Carlton Davis) will likely depend on how things play out with McNeill. The latter served in a rotational capacity during his rookie campaign, but in the two years since then he has developed into a notable pass-rushing presence from the interior.

The NC State alum recorded five sacks and 13 pressures last season despite being limited to 13 contests by an MCL injury. McNeill returned in time for the playoffs, adding a sack and three QB hits as the Lions progressed to the NFC title game. Another productive campaign in 2024 – a year in which the Lions expect to take a step forward in the front seven – would put him line to join the growing list of young defensive tackles who have secured notable paydays on their second contracts. A quartet of players in that regard (Quinnen Williams, Jeffery Simmons, Dexter Lawrence, Daron Payne) inked deals averaging between $22.5MM and $24MM per year last offseason.

Christian Wilkins, Justin Madubuike and Derrick Brown landed similar extensions of their own this spring, providing McNeill and the Lions with plenty of comparable pacts should they negotiate one. However, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes that no deal is considered imminent at this time. Team and player may elect to wait until next offseason to evaluate the situation and engage in talks on what could be a very lucrative second deal.

“I’m just working,” McNeill said (via Birkett) when asked about a potential extension. “I’m head down, whatever happens, happens. I’m just – I still have to play good to set myself up to even get any of that, so I’m [not] worried about that right now.”

Despite the investments made on offense via the Goff, St. Brown and Sewell extensions, the Lions are currently on track to have considerable cap flexibility next offseason. A large portion of it could be needed to keep McNeill in the fold if he delivers a productive season in 2024 and positions himself to become one of the league’s top earners at the defensive tackle spot.