The Detroit Lions announced that they’ve used their franchise tag on free agent DE Ezekiel Ansah on Tuesday.
This move will cost the Lions around $17.5 million fully guaranteed for the 2018 season, but won’t prevent them from working a long-term extension before the July deadline to negotiate with franchise players.
While there was some speculation that Detroit may allow Ansah to test the open market, this was clearly the right move for the Lions, as it ensures that they prevent one of the best available pass rushers for reaching free agency.
It will be interesting to see if the Lions open extension talks with Ansah in the coming years or if they allow him to play out the season under the tag and allow him to walk in 2019 when he’ll be nearly 30 years old.
Ansah, 28, was taken with the No. 5 overall pick by the Lions back in 2013. He played out the final year of his four-year, $18.595 million rookie contract before the Lions picked up his fifth-year option last May.
Ansah made a base salary $12.7 million for the 2017 season and was in line to be an unrestricted free agent in the coming weeks.
In 2017, Ansah appeared in 14 games for the Lions and recorded 44 tackles, 12 sacks, a forced fumble, and a recovery. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 40 edge rusher out of 106 qualifying players.
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