Detroit Lions Report Card: Evaluating Alex Anzalone’s 2025-26 NFL Season
· Yahoo Sports
Alex Anzalone has never been the flashiest name in Detroit’s linebacker room, but his value to the Lions’ defense has long extended beyond box scores. In the 2025-26 NFL season, Anzalone again served as a stabilizing presence in the middle, delivering a solid — if unspectacular — campaign that earns a B- on his report card.
Anzalone finished the season with 52 total tackles, 2.5 sacks and one interception, appearing in every game except the finale. Those raw numbers represent a step back from some of his more productive seasons in Detroit, but they only tell part of the story. As the Lions continued to transition toward a younger core at linebacker, Anzalone’s role subtly shifted from centerpiece to connector — a veteran tasked with aligning the defense, handling coverage responsibilities and serving as a bridge between coaching intent and on-field execution.
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At his best, Anzalone remained one of Detroit’s most reliable coverage linebackers. Since joining the Lions in 2021, he and Foyesade Oluokun are the only NFL linebackers to record at least five pass defenses in each season over that span, a testament to his consistency in space. He is also one of just four NFL linebackers to log 30 or more pass defenses and 25 or more tackles for loss since 2021, underscoring a well-rounded skill set that has aged better than many expected.
His lone interception this season marked the fourth of his career and third with Detroit. More notably, Anzalone now has 27 pass defenses as a Lion, tied for the second-most by a Detroit linebacker since at least 1994. Those numbers reflect a player who, even as his physical traits begin to plateau, continues to win with anticipation, film study and positioning.
Still, the season was not without blemishes. Anzalone’s most costly moment came against Pittsburgh, when he was flagged for pass interference while covering Kenneth Gainwell on a wheel route that resulted in a touchdown. The play was emblematic of the fine line Anzalone walked all season — competitive and aggressive in coverage, but occasionally vulnerable when isolated against speed in space. As offenses increasingly targeted matchups with linebackers, those moments became harder to hide.
Against the run, Anzalone remained assignment-sound but less impactful than in previous years. His 52 tackles were modest for an every-week starter, reflecting both Detroit’s rotational usage and the emergence of younger linebackers who absorbed more downhill responsibilities. The 2.5 sacks offered flashes of timely pressure, but splash plays were sporadic rather than routine.
Context matters when evaluating Anzalone’s 2025-26 season. At 31, he was no longer asked to be the defensive tone-setter he once was. Instead, his value came from reliability, communication and situational awareness. He played within the structure of the defense and rarely freelanced, even if that approach limited his statistical ceiling.
Looking ahead, Anzalone’s future in Detroit is uncertain. He is set to hit free agency, and speculation has already surfaced about a potential reunion with his former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, on the New York Jets. Whether the Lions choose to retain him or allow him to walk, Anzalone’s tenure in Detroit has been defined by steadiness and professionalism.
For the 2025-26 season, a B- feels appropriate. Anzalone did not elevate the defense on his own, but he did not drag it down either. In a year of transition, he remained a dependable — if increasingly replaceable — piece of the puzzle.