For the first time since he started sending out cryptic social media posts that hinted he wants a new contract, Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone has broken his silence on the topic.
Anzalone is indeed unhappy with his contract and wants to get paid as he enters the final year of his deal. However, he decided not to hold out from training camp after not attending the team's voluntary offseason program.
When asked if he felt he's underpaid as compared to other linebackers in the NFL, Anzalone said "yeah" before noting that his production, play and the market are dictating he deserves a raise, according to Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News.
Anzalone didn't go into specifics about contract talks and if the team is receptive to giving him an extension, but he made it quite clear he wants to stay and retire with the Lions.
"I want to retire a Lion, I want that opportunity," Anzalone said.
"You gotta ask (head coach) Dan [Campbell] and (general manager) Brad [Holmes]," he said when asked about if the team was open to a new deal.
Anzalone, who revealed he is dealing with a hamstring injury, is not sure if he will be on the practice field without a new contract once he heals up and is taking it "day to day."
He also admitted he was surprised and "disappointed" his contract wasn't taken care of in the spring.
"Yeah, for sure. Yeah. This is a weird situation. It wasn't on my end or my agent's end," he said.
Not helping matters any is the fact that the Lions shelled out a sizeable extension to fellow linebacker Derrick Barnes this offseason, which probably didn't sit well with Anzalone given the fact that he hasn't gotten one yet.
At an average of $8 million per year, Barnes is making more than Anzalone (about $6 million per) even though he's coming off a significant injury and is far less proven than Anzalone.
Anzalone once again proved just how important he is to the Lions' defense after returning from a fractured forearm late in the season.
Detroit would be wise to get something done with such an important player, but the team might be hesitant because of Anzalone's age (31 in September) and due to the fact it has several players to pay in the next few years.
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