Pride of Detroit
Penei Sewell’s monster contract extension is actually a six-year commitment from the Detroit Lions.
The Detroit Lions and Penei Sewell agreed to a four-year extension according to several reports, but the team’s commitment to their franchise tackle is actually a little longer than that.
According to NFL insider Albert Breer, before the Lions and Sewell agreed to terms on a new deal, they picked up his fifth-year option. That means with the one year remaining on his rookie deal, plus the fifth-year option, Sewell will now be under contract for the next six years—or through the 2029 season.
Six remaining years under contract should help in terms of cap hit for several reasons. For one, whatever Sewell’s signing bonus ends up being, the cap hit for that will be spread over the next six years. So, for example, let’s say Sewell’s signing bonus is $60 million. While he’ll get that money immediately, the cap hit of that $60 million will only count $10 million per year.
Additionally, Sewell’s salary for 2025 under the fifth-year option is projected to be worth $19.04 million. While that isn’t exactly cheap, it could be relatively affordable compared to the extension part of the contract—which reportedly averages $28 million a year.
So when Sewell’s extension actually kicks in—in 2026—his four-year, $112 million contract may look way more affordable than it does today because the salary cap is expected to be significantly higher than it is right now. Each year—COVID year excluded—the NFL salary cap typically increases by around 6-8 percent a year (although 2024 was an anomaly at 13.6%).
In other words, when Sewell’s big numbers kick in, the salary cap will likely be in a much more favorable spot.
Here are some additional details about Sewell’s new contract, via Breer:
