The Detroit Lions have begun cleaning up their roster ahead of the start of NFL free agency in mid-March. The first victim is a long-time top performer in the team.
It hit safety Tracy Walker, who came to Detroit as a third-round pick in the 2018 draft and has been one of the top performers in the defense ever since. His release frees up $5.5 million in cap space, meaning the Lions are currently at around $50 million, according to Over the Cap.
Walker said goodbye before the team announced his release on Tuesday with a post on his Instagram account: “Detroit, I want to thank you for welcoming me as a rookie and accepting me as part of the family.”
Walker continued: “I would like to thank my fans and supporters for always having my back.” He also thanked the city and the Ford family, which owns the franchise.
Lions: Achilles tendon stopped Walker
Walker played all 17 games in 2023 and made six starts. He had 59 tackles, defended two passes, forced a fumble and managed a sack. After being one of the top performers on defense in his first four seasons, he received a new three-year contract worth $25 million in 2022. However, he tore his Achilles tendon shortly after the start of the 2022 season and was then out for a long time.
In 2023, he was primarily a backup and stepped in as a starter again after CJ Gardner-Johnson was injured. When he returned, Ifeatu Melifonwu took over from him in the starting lineup of the secondary.
In total, Walker played 79 games for the Lions and had 398 tackles, three interceptions and four sacks. Meanwhile, his most effective seasons were 2019 and 2021, when he racked up more than 100 tackles each.