Last season, the Detroit Lions faced difficulties in establishing their third starting wide receiver during training camp. The competition between Antoine Green, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Daurice Fountain failed to yield a clear solution, forcing the team to explore other options among players released by other franchises.
Fortunately, former Broncos receiver Tim Patrick became available, and his addition proved to be a fortunate break for Detroit. Though he wasn’t heavily targeted—receiving just 44 targets across 16 games—he played a crucial role in the offense. His large frame provided quarterback Jared Goff with a reliable target, and his willingness to contribute as a blocker in the running game made him even more valuable.
Patrick joined the Lions on a veteran minimum contract worth $1.125 million due to his history of injuries. Given his impact as a starter at an important position, this deal was an incredible bargain for Detroit. Now, after re-signing with the team, he has received a well-deserved raise but remains a cost-effective option for the Lions. Initially reported as a one-year contract worth up to $4 million, Patrick’s actual deal is structured as a one-year, $2.5 million agreement, fully guaranteed. Here’s a breakdown of his contract details:
- Base salary: $1,255,000 (fully guaranteed)
- Signing bonus: $1,245,000
- Total cap hit: $2,500,000
Since the contract was originally described as reaching up to $4 million, it is likely that an additional $1.5 million in incentives is included. Although specific details about these incentives are yet to be disclosed, they are typically tied to factors such as playing time, performance benchmarks, postseason recognition, or team success.
The structure of Patrick’s contract is straightforward: his base salary is fully guaranteed, and his signing bonus effectively doubles his earnings. If Detroit were to release him, they would not gain any financial relief, making it unlikely that they would part ways with him at this stage.
Examining the Lions’ wide receiver unit as a whole, Detroit has managed to secure valuable contracts across the board:
- Amon-Ra St. Brown: $13.91 million (16th among WRs in 2025)
- Kalif Raymond: $6.38 million (38th)
- Jameson Williams: $5.6 million (40th)
- Tim Patrick: $2.5 million (74th)
Despite these cost-efficient deals, the Lions still rank 10th in overall spending at the position, committing over $31.5 million in cap space to their receivers. Given that they boast two potential top-20 receivers and an All-Pro return specialist, this investment is well justified.
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