Lions Veteran Labeled NFL's Most Overpaid Defensive Tackle

The Lions’ defensive tackle Alim McNeill is labeled the NFL’s most overpaid at his position after Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton ranked him with a $97 million price tag. The piece argues McNeill, who tore his ACL in December 2024, has not returned to deliver the level expected. Moton states McNeill is owed the second-highest cash salary among defensive tackles but has been a below-average playmaker since the injury. Earlier production helped Detroit secure a major 2024 extension following a 2023 season that included 5.0 sacks and 32 tackles. In 2024 he recorded 3.5 sacks and 25 tackles, then, after returning nearly ten months later in Week 7, finished last season with 1.0 sack across 10 games. The article contrasts him with Chris Jones ($31.75 million) of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jeffery Simmons’ contract level.