Lions keep two DL due to CBA Quirk

Weird how a single day can make a huge difference.

Yesterday, the majority of the Detroit Lions fans thought that the Lions would be in the market for some DL depth, with the impending Free Agency of seven of their D-line. However, word comes today that both Edge Josh Paschal and DT Levi Onwuzurike had their contracts form 2025 toll due to a quirk in the CBA regarding players on the Non-Football Injury and (N-FI) and Reserve Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) lists.

Lions Edge Josh Paschal and DT Levi Onwuzurike

Both players hit the provisions of the CBAs clauses for N-FI and PUP that allowed their prior deal to toll, so they will be under contract to the Lions as of now.

CBA Provisions Hit

• In the final year of their deals

• Lions Paid their entire salary (PUP Only)

• Not activated or able to play as of the 6th game of year

Josh Paschal - N-FI Provision (Article 20, Section 3, Part B)

A player on N-F/I who is in the final year of his contract (including an option year) will have his contract tolled. However, if the player is physically able to perform his football services on or before the sixth regular season game, the Club must pay the player his negotiated Paragraph 5 Salary (pro rata) for the balance of the season in order to toll such player’s contract. If such player is taken off N-F/I during the period when such action is allowed by League rules, his contract will not be tolled.

Levi Onwuzurike - PUP Provision (Article 20, Section 2)

Any player placed on a Physically Unable to Perform list (“PUP”) will be paid his full Paragraph 5 Salary while on such list. His contract will not be tolled for the period he is on PUP, except in the last year of his contract, when the player’s contract will be tolled if (i) he is still physically unable to perform his football services as of the sixth regular season game; and (ii) he is not reinstated to the Club’s Active/Inactive List during that regular season or postseason. For the avoidance of doubt, if the player returns to practice, but is never reinstated to the Club’s Active/Inactive List during that regular season or postseason, his contract will toll.

There are some salary cap ramifications that come with this, as the Lions now have two higher salaried players as part of the offseason Top 51 contracts, so they added an additional $1,489,863 to their already over-the-cap total, pushing the deficit to $8,531,146 per Over The Cap. The tradeoff is that the Lions potentially get back two experienced DL that will increase depth and possibly provide some production that was lacking last season. Both players had slow starts to their career but were playing better in 2024 and poised to have breakout years in 22025 prior to their injuries popping up.