Lions get jumpstart on free agency, agreeing to three-year extension with LB Derrick Barnes

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The Detroit Lions agreed to a three-year extension with linebacker Derrick Barnes on Friday. According to multiple reports, the deal is worth up to $25.5 million and includes $16 million in guarantees.

Barnes, a fourth-round draft pick in 2021, had developed into a key piece of Detroit’s defense over the past two seasons before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the team’s Week 3 game against Arizona.

More of an edge rusher at Purdue, Barnes’ transition to playing off the ball for the Lions was plagued with inconsistencies his first two years. But things clicked in his third season, and despite the team adding Jack Campbell in the first round of the 2023 draft, Barnes had his best season, starting 13 games and racking up 81 tackles.

With Campbell primed for a bigger role entering his second season, it was unclear how Barnes would be impacted. But the team found a way to get him on the field in a hybrid role, frequently lining him up on the line of scrimmage as part of a five-man front. He was playing north of 80% of the team’s defensive snaps to start the season when he took a helmet to the knee from a pulling blocker that tore his MCL and PCL ligaments.

Barnes pushed hard through his rehab, hoping to beat his timetable and return during the postseason. Coach Dan Campbell ultimately dismissed that possibility late in the year.

The extension marks the fourth for Detroit’s 2021 draft class, the first of general manager Brad Holmes’ tenure with the franchise. Barnes joins offensive tackle Penei Sewell, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and defensive tackle Alim McNeill in earning second contracts.