*Originally published prior to the Lions Week 18 win over the Bears
Week 18 is here, and it honestly feels like the closing chapter of a meaningful era in Detroit.
This core lived through everything together, the losing seasons, the culture reset, the near–Super Bowl run, and now the frustration of an 8–8 finish. And as the Lions take the field one last time this season, several familiar faces may be wearing Honolulu Blue for the final time.
Nothing is official yet, but big decisions are coming. Contracts, retirement talks, roster direction, cap realities… all of it. So here are seven Lions who could be playing their final game in Detroit.
1. LB Alex Anzalone
Five-year captain. Emotional leader. One of the key culture-builders from Day 1 of the Dan Campbell era.
If this concussion keeps him sidelined in Week 18, his final Lions snap may have already happened.
Anzalone has said he’d like to retire in Detroit, but he’s 31 and still playing at a high level, meaning this may be his last chance at a meaningful payday. The Lions weren’t ready to extend him last offseason, and he will now hit the open market.
“Just business,” Anzalone told the Detroit Free Press. “I want to come back, but … I got to do what’s best for me and my family when it comes time. We’ll see what that is. Hopefully it’s here.”
Whether the sides reunite or part ways is truly up in the air.
2. EDGE Marcus Davenport
Another year… another injury-filled season.
Even when Davenport was healthy, the impact never matched expectations. The Lions liked his physical profile opposite Aidan Hutchinson, but availability has been the problem since day one.
At this point, it feels like both sides need a clean break. A reunion would be surprising.
3. LT Taylor Decker
The longest-tenured Detroit Lion. The anchor through the darkest years. One of the most respected voices in the building.
And this may be his final ride.
Decker has openly acknowledged he is seriously considering retirement after battling injuries all season, including a nagging shoulder issue, and he’ll be 33 next year. Watching close friend Frank Ragnow walk away certainly didn’t make that decision easier.
He doesn’t want emotion to drive his choice, and he refuses to make the final week about himself.
“Whatever my future may hold, I don’t want to make that decision now ‘cause I don’t want to make it emotionally,” Decker said. “I want to give this last game for our season the attention it deserves. And it’s like, I don’t want it to be about me. It’s never been about me.”
For Decker, football has always been about the team, not headlines or speculation.
“The game is what it is. The NFL will move on whenever I decide to be done playing football. So none of that matters,” he continued. “I don’t want to make it about me. I want to just go out there and play with my teammates.”
Best-case scenario? One more year while Detroit develops his successor. But retirement is absolutely on the table.
4. C Graham Glasgow
This one feels like the end, whether it’s the end in Detroit… or the end of his playing career altogether.
Glasgow battled like crazy this season, but interior pressure and inconsistency in the run game became lingering problems. The Lions are expected to prioritize center this offseason, and Glasgow is unlikely going to be part of that equation.
Glasgow will be 34. If he keeps playing, it likely won’t be here.
5. EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad
One of the best bargain signings of the season: 11 sacks, real production, real juice off the edge.
But his future remains uncertain.
Muhammad thrived when Marcus Davenport went down, but he was rotated out of certain game plans due to run-defense concerns. He’ll be 31, and teams will have to decide if this breakout year is sustainable.
If the price is right, Detroit could bring him back. If not, he may be elsewhere in 2026.
6. DT D.J. Reader
Reader didn’t post flashy stats, but he did the dirty work that made Detroit’s front operate. He swallowed blocks, anchored the middle, and allowed Alim McNeill to thrive.
But with the Lions drafting Tyleik Williams in the first round, the writing appears to be on the wall.
Reader is 31 and heading into free agency again. The Lions look ready to transition to youth at the position.
7. DB Amik Robertson
Undersized, scrappy, relentless, Robertson fought his way from role player to starter and gave Detroit everything he had.
But his coverage numbers dipped late in the season, particularly in man coverage, and that may force the Lions to evaluate alternatives.
A team-friendly deal could keep him here, but this is truly a coin-flip situation.
The Bottom Line
This is the reality of the NFL.
Some players stay for the next phase. Others walk away. Some retire as franchise pillars. Others chase new opportunities.
Whatever happens, this core helped restore Lions football, and they’ll always be a part of the turnaround story.
But after Week 18… the roster will look different.
