Alim McNeill was as surprised as anyone when his agent called him earlier this week to tell him he was close to securing a new contract with the club. Detroit Lions.
McNeill had long stated his desire to stay with the team that selected him in the third round of the 2021 draft, but when the Lions first approached him about a new deal this spring, he simply told his agent to let him know when it was concluded.
“I didn’t really know when it was going to happen because, to be honest, I wasn’t really focused on it,” McNeill said Wednesday. “And then my agents called me, I think two days ago, and then things got more serious and I was like, ‘OK, this is getting a little crazy.’ Then the next day it happened, so I’m like, “Oh yeah.”
McNeill officially signed a four-year extension Wednesday worth up to $97 million, making him one of the highest-paid defensive tackles in the NFL.
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The deal includes $55 million in practical guarantees.
McNeill said it was life-changing money, but insisted nothing would change his life on the pitch.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s not going to change who I am, the person I am, to come here every day and work like I did before,” he said. “But it obviously changes a lot of different things. But, as a person, I’m just going to stay the same.”
McNeill, 24, has been a staple of the Lions’ defensive front over the past four seasons, starting 41 of his 52 games played and accumulating 10½ sacks.
He had a breakout five-sack season last year, when he missed four games with a knee injury, and had two sacks in the Lions’ 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys last season. last week.
“He’s a key piece here for us and he’s one of our pillars here,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “No different than those guys we signed, so we’re excited for him. He’s playing at a high level and he’s going to have to keep it up.”
The Lions, 4-1 and second in the NFC North heading into this week’s divisional showdown with the undefeated Minnesota Vikings, are counting on McNeill to play an even bigger role on their injury-riddled defensive line.
The Lions lost starting defensive ends Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport to injuries, likely for the season, and backup defensive tackle Kyle Peko is out for the year after tearing his pectoral muscle last week.
McNeill, who was watching an episode of the 2000s sitcom “Reba” when he got the call from his agent informing him his contract was up, said he and everyone else in the defensive line room Lions felt they had to contribute more in Hutchinson’s absence.
“I feel like I have to play this way (I played last week) and I feel like I can do it,” he said. “That’s what I do as a player. When I’m locked in, I’m honed on my keys, so I expect that for myself. But that’s how we all feel. We’re going to have to step up in different areas and fall behind in different areas that 97 (Hutchinson) had And everyone knows who 97 is. But yeah, we’re definitely accepted into the challenge, we’re up for it. “We’re going to be prepared, we’re going to be ready to go.”
Dave Birkett will sign copies of his new book, “Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline” at 7 p.m. Monday at 24 Seconds Bar & Grill in Berkley, and from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Stadium Cards & Comics in Ypsilanti.
Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article was originally published on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions DT Alim McNeill swears deal ‘won’t change who I am’
