For the 30 NFL teams not participating in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Sunday, it's the offseason. Free agency starts in just over a month, and the Detroit Lions will be eyeing how they can get over the playoff hump next season.
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The Lions are in a good position heading into the offseason, sitting top-10 in the league in cap space right now. There are some key internal free agents they have to make a decision on, but in a broad sense they will be able to do what they want to in free agency.
We also know the Lions will be careful spenders in free agency, honing in on players who they feel will intangibly fit their culture as much as said player's talent would fit a need on the field. That necessarily narrows the pool of players they'd most likely sign, but past team success could be a tipping point in some cases. Like having just played in the Super Bowl when free agency gets going.
Leaning into those players, here are five 2025 free agents from the Super Bowl LIX teams who could be on the Lions' radar.
5 free agents from the Super Bowl LIX teams who could interest the Lions
5. Eagles OG/OT Jack Driscoll
Driscoll won't be suiting up in the Super Bowl due to an ankle injury that landed him on IR before the playoffs. His only start this season was in Week 8, at right guard as the Eagles' rested their starters. He has been a reserve over the last three seasons (five total starts), but over the course of five seasons he has made starts at three offensive line positions (both tackle spots at right guard).
If the Lions end up looking for a versatile offensive line backup who has proven capable at multiple spots when called upon, Driscoll lands as a possibility.
4. Eagles DE Josh Sweat
Sweat definitely lands more on unlikely side for the Lions among free agent targets, given his status as an top-tier free agent overall (No. 10 in Pro Football Focus' free agent rankings) with the projected cost to back it up ($18.8 million per year, according to Spotrac). But if they're thinking about pursuing some big edge rusher fish on the trade market to pair with Aidan Hutchinson (Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett), the cost to sign Sweat would fall under that and a case can be made that he has yet to reach his ceiling.
A deal to sign Sweat could be structured to make it more palatable for the Lions salary-cap wise. If a notable swing for an edge rusher on the free agent market is coming, Sweat has to be on the list for Detroit and he has a showcase opportunity on Super Bowl Sunday.
3. Eagles CB Isaiah Rodgers
Rodgers was one of the players around the league who was suspended for the entire 2023 season for violating the NFL's gambling policy. But unlike the others, he landed with a new team after being waived (by the Indianapolis Colts in his case and upon being reinstated for the 2024 season he had a job.
Rodgers hasn't played a ton this season (328 defensive snaps over 15 regular season games), since the Eagles go three-deep with top-tier cornerbacks (Darius Slay, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean). But when called upon to play more he has stepped up, registering a top-30 overall grade among qualifying cornerbacks from Pro Football Focus.
Rodgers is on the small side (5-foot-10, 170 pounds), but he has mostly lined up on the outside in his career along with being a willing and capable run defender. If things go a certain way for the Lions on the cornerback market (see losing Carlton Davis), Rodgers may land as viable low-cost pivot.
2. Chiefs OLB/EDGE Josh Uche
Uche was easy to tie to the Lions in last year's free agency, but he wound up going back to the New England Patriots over reported better offers he had out there. He was traded to the Chiefs before the deadline as New England embraced sell-mode, as the Lions perhaps may have been interested as well with Aidan Hutchinson out.
Uche has barely played for Kansas City, with 50 of his 87 snaps coming in their meaningless regular season finale. He has not played in either playoff game up to this point, so it's possible he's not in uniform for the Super Bowl either.
Over seven games with the Patriots this season before he was traded, Uche had a 72.7 pass rush grade from Pro Football Focus. That would have been top-30 pass rush grade among edge defenders had he played enough snaps to qualify.
Uche (240 pounds) is a little lighter than the Lions generally favor in edge rushers, and he simply hasn't been used as much more than a pass rusher so far in his career to reveal how he'd be in pass coverage. But he could fit into a SAM linebacker role, he has an 11.5-sack season on his resume (2022), he's still pretty young (26) and after a season where he has hardly seen the field he couldn't be more of a free agent bargain.
1. Chiefs DT Tershawn Wharton
Wharton set career-highs with 6.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss during the regular season this year, and he has followed that with a sack in each of Kansas City's playoff games thus far with six total pressures in the postseason (according to Pro Football Focus).
Wharton is clearly a better pass rusher than run defender based on his PFF grades. He had the 25th-best pass rushing grade among defensive tackles during the regular season (76.1), with the 14th-most pass rush snaps at the position (minimum 125 pass rush snaps) and a 10.4 percent pass rush win rate.
Wharton's lack of length (6-foot-1) has meant he has lined up mostly on the interior of the Chiefs defensive line, but even within that he has lined up at multiple spots. With legit questions about Alim McNeill's status for the start of next season, Wharton should be on the Lions' radar if the price is right.
