The Detroit Lions maintain a key part of the city's running game.
The Lions matched the offer restricted free agent Brock Wright received from the San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday, agreeing to pay the second-rounder $12 million over the next three seasons.
The Lions gave Wright an original offer of $2.985 million as a restricted free agent in early March. The tender gave them the right to match any contract Wright signed in free agency.
Since Wright entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 2021, the Lions would not have received any draft compensation had they not exercised right of first refusal on his deal.
Wright, 25, has been the Lions' leading finalist the past three seasons. He made four starts last year and caught 13 passes for 91 yards with two touchdowns before breaking his forearm in the Lions' playoff-round win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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The Lions' tight end room returns mostly intact for 2024. Sam LaPorta is coming off a standout rookie season in which he caught 86 passes for 889 yards, James Mitchell remains under contract as the No. 3 tight end, and free agent Shane is free agent. Zylstra, who missed last year with a knee injury, was signed at the start of the season.
The 49ers pursued Wright as a replacement for Charlie Warner, who signed a similar three-year, $12 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on X and Instagram on@devperkit.
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