Lions extend Alim McNeill for 4 years; $55M guaranteed, source says - ESPN

DETROIT — One of the cornerstones for one of the NFL's best squads has secured his future in the Motor City.

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill has agreed to a four-year contract extension, per his agent Mike McCartney at Vayner Sports. McNeill's deal is worth $97 million, including $55 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

He is the third member of Detroit's 2021 draft class under general manager Brad Holmes to sign an extension, joining All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive tackle Penei Sewell, who both reached extensions in the offseason. On Saturday, the Lions also inked star running back David Montgomery to a two-year, $18.25 million extension that ties him to the Detroit Lions through the 2027 season as they continue to reward their players after a strong start to the season.

The Lions also resigned QB Jared Goff to a new four-year, $212 million contract in May.

Following training camp, Holmes said he believes in getting ahead of contract negotiations and rewarding the top players for their efforts, which sends a message in the locker room.

«The market's going to change. You don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. We've always felt the earlier the better for everybody,» Holmes said in August. «First of all, I know that the player doesn't want to wait around and be strung along, and us as an organization, we do a lot of planning and preparation to reward these players as early as possible because you don't know what's going to happen the next week, the next month.

McNeill, 24, joined the Lions as a third-round pick (72nd overall) in the 2021 NFL draft out of N.C. State and has started in all five games with the Lions this season, where he has logged eight tackles and