One of the early orders of offseason business for the Detroit Lions is making decisions on the team’s restricted free agents (RFA). These are players with three years of credited NFL service and expiring contracts, with the team maintaining some control over the player.
Detroit has three restricted free agents in 2025:
OL Kayode Awosika
RB Craig Reynolds
TE Shane Zylstra
Awosika – 11 games played, two starts (Week 4 LG, Week 6 RG), 147 total offensive snaps in 2024
Reynolds – 17 games played, 31 carries for 139 yards in 96 offensive snaps; 285 special teams snaps (3rd on team)
Zylstra – 12 games played, 1 catch for 1 yard in 109 offensive snaps; 194 special teams snaps
All three figure to be offered the original round/right of first refusal tenders, which would allow the Lions to match any offers they get from any other team. The Lions would get no compensation if any player signs an offer with another team and Detroit fails to match it.
Detroit did this in 2024 with TE Brock Wright, opting to match the free agency offer Wright got from the 49ers.
The exact values of the different RFA tender offers aren’t known yet, but in 2024, the right-of-first-refusal tender was $2.985 million. That would commit the Lions to paying any of the three RFAs they wish to keep at that salary (fully guaranteed) for 2025. It would represent a significant pay raise for all three; Reynolds earned $1.125 million in 2024, while Awosika and Zylstra earned the vet minimum of $985,000.
The relatively high tender offer valuations tend to discourage teams from placing bigger tags on players that aren’t critically important to the team. Last year, placing a second-round tender offer (meaning the Lions would get a second-round pick if someone signed that RFA) would have cost $4.89 million, fully guaranteed, on a one-year contract. Even the low-tender offer right around $3 million per player might be too high for the Lions to keep their No. 3 RB and reserves at TE and OL from the 2024 season.
There is no obligation from the Lions to make a tender offer, and teams are also free to withdraw offers for RFAs. That would result in a player becoming an unrestricted free agent.