Lions September 1 Salary Cap Update

Where do Lions stand financially following roster cuts?

Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell. / Kevin R. Wexler / NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The wait for Detroit Lions football is nearly over.

The Lions are just one week away from their regular season opener against the Los Angeles Rams. They've constructed their 53-man roster and are now fully into the race for a championship.

General manager Brad Holmes aggressively attacked the offseason, making several moves in an effort to upgrade the weak spots on the roster from a season ago. Still, the Lions have some resources still available should they need to make an in-season move.

According to Over The Cap, the Lions have $31,854,262 remaining in cap space, which gives Holmes freedom to potentially take on a big contract in the short term if deemed necessary. Detroit ranks fourth in the league in available cap space.

There's a significant amount that Detroit has in dead cap in 2024, as the total surpasses $30 million following some moves made on cut day. The team will pay $125,000 in dead money to Donovan Peoples-Jones, who returned on the practice squad, and $231,666 to undrafted rookie center Kingsley Eguakun.

Tracy Walker holds the biggest dead cap hit with $7,321,668, while cornerback Cam Sutton's dead cap hit is currently listed at $4.2 million.

Sutton's contract has carried some uncertainty throughout the offseason. He was released this offseason following a legal issue that ended with him being suspended eight games. Sutton's contract, which was three-years, $33 million, was initially set to cost Detroit $10.5 million upon his release.

However, the Lions attempted to void his contract as a post-June 1 release. Sutton responded by filing a grievance with the league. Now, his cap hit shows $4.2 million.

Detroit's cap space will wind up taking a hit beginning next season when extensions for Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jared Goff take effect. Meanwhile, Penei Sewell's extension will go into action the following season due to the 2025 season being his fifth-year option year.

As it stands, the Lions are one of the most financially flexible teams in the NFL. How Holmes elects to use that money remains to be seen, but he has the resources to make a big addition at some point in the upcoming season.