Report: Lions re-up with Barnes on 3-year, $25.5M deal

The Detroit Lions are re-signing linebacker Derrick Barnes to a three-year, $25.5-million deal that includes $16 million fully guaranteed at signing, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Barnes only made three starts in 2024 due to a knee injury that included MCL and PCL tears. He appeared in 16 games (13 starts) in 2023 and tallied 81 total tackles (five for loss), one sack, and a forced fumble in what was his best season as a pro.

The Purdue product picked off Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield in the 2023 campaign's postseason to seal a 31-23 win that sent the Lions to the NFC championship, where they lost to the San Francisco 49ers.

Barnes, a fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft, has recorded 205 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, four sacks, and a forced fumble in 51 career games (26 starts).