Lions LB Alex Anzalone 'crushed' conditioning test, not practicing as contract unresolved
Anzalone was one of three players not on the physically unable to perform list, along with linebacker Anthony Pittman and edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad, who did not take part in the first practice of training camp Sunday.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said Anzalone "crushed" the Lions' conditioning test but is not practicing because of an unspecified injury.
Anzalone did not take part in formal offseason workouts this spring and has hinted repeatedly at being unhappy with his contract on social media. He is due $6 million in base salary and has $100,000 total in per-game roster bonuses this fall, the final year on his current contract.
Anzalone, who turns 31 in September and is underpaid by top linebacker standards, is a four-time team captain and one of the Lions' best and most important defensive players. He had 63 tackles and one sack last season despite missing seven games with a fractured forearm.
LIONS INJURIES: Levi Onwuzurike out for season, Josh Paschal out into September
Campbell noted Anzalone also stayed away from the team most of last offseason, when he only took part in mandatory minicamp — the Lions did not have a minicamp this spring — and said he does not believe Anzalone, who was not see at the public portion of practice, is in a "hold-in" situation.
Rather than hold out and face daily fines, some NFL players unhappy with their contracts report to camp but do not take part in practice.
"No way, right," Campbell said. "I refuse to believe that.'
Asked about Anzalone's contract, Campbell said there is nothing "that I can really talk about."
"He's here, reported, did great on the conditioning test, weight's good and ready to go," he said.
With Anzalone out and Malcolm Rodriguez expected to miss the first half of the season recovering form a torn ACL, Zach Cunningham joined Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes in playing linebacker Sunday with the first-team defense.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Alex Anzalone Lions contract update: LB returns but not practicing
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Olympics greats Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte rip USA Swimming during 2025 World Championships: 'Call it a funeral'
Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte aren't happy with the way Team USA has performed at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships. Phelps and Lochte expressed their disappointment with the team, sharing an Instagram post proclaiming it was time to hold a funeral for USA Swimming. Lochte was the first to share the image, which features people in mourning at a funeral. The image contains a tombstone, which reads: "In loving memory of United States Swimming." The tombstone then lists the dates 1980 - 2025, suggesting USA Swimming lived 45 years before dying in 2025. Under those dates, lies an epitaph, which reads, "They set the bar high — until they stopped reaching for it." It's unclear whether Lochte found the image elsewhere or asked for it to be generated. The image appears to be made by A.I. Phelps shared the image on Instagram, adding his own critique of USA Swimming. Phelps' comment read, "Is this the wake up call USA Swimming needed? Let's find out....." Lochte and Phelps opted to share the image during the 2025 World Aquatics Championships. Team USA got out to a slow start at the event, as multiple members of the team dealt with acute gastroenteritis. Despite those early struggles, the team secured five gold medals as of Friday morning. That tied Team USA with Australia for the most swimming medals at the event. Team USA does own the most overall swimming medals at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships with 20. That performance isn't good enough for Lochte and Phelps, who happen to know a thing or two about the sport. Phelps is widely celebrated as one of the best swimmers — and one of the best Olympic athletes — of all-time. He won 23 gold medals, the most of any Olympian. He also holds the record for most gold medals in individual events with 13. Long after his retirement, Phelps remains one of the most prominent names in the sport. Lochte is a six-time Olympic gold medalist, winning events between 2004 and 2016. Two of Lochte's gold medals came in individual events. The other four came in relays, where Phelps was one of his teammates. The pair played a major role in Team USA's swimming dominance during their careers. Between 2003 and 2022, Team USA secured the most gold medals in swimming at the World Championships every year they were held. Team USA finished second to Australia in 2023, ending that streak, but then bounced back to reclaim first in 2024. Despite Team USA tying for the lead in gold medals and leading the pack with 20 overall swimming medals in 2025, Lochte and Phelps clearly view the squad's performance as a major disappointment.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Lions' Dan Campbell Threatens to Cut Players Over HoF Game Disaster
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The NFL Hall of Game was a one-sided affair, as the Los Angeles Chargers handily beat the Detroit Lions with a final score of 34-7. Granted, the game was preseason and featured backups and third and fourth stringers, but the score and events were enough to lead to a sizable threat. More news: Surprise AFC Team is Pitching to Trade for Terry McLaurin Lions head coach Dan Campbell is one of the most intense head coaches, but his leadership has completely turned the franchise around. Naturally, he expects the best out of his players, and the Hall of Fame game was simply not that. The Lions turned the ball over five times, two of which came from costly interceptions thrown by Kyle Allen. The result of the turnovers was enough for Campbell to rip into his players, and offer a bit of a threat regarding their statuses on remaining on the roster. "We turned it over five times and we didn't get any takeaways," Campbell said. "You're wearing Lions gear, you've got to take care of the ball, or it's going to be hard to keep you around." Head coach Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions reacts during the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 22, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Head coach Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions reacts during the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 22, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Photo byMore news: Dolphins' Tyreek Hill Breaks Silence on Tua Tagovailoa's Brutal Comments Campbell also stated that he expects the team to play better in the next game. Should the Lions perform the way they did in the Hall of Fame game, Campbell might make good on his promise. The Lions came into the 2024 season blazing, putting together a 15-2 record and winning the NFC North for the second season in a row. Sadly, a wealth of injuries led to the team not being able to make it to the big show. Still, the Lions remain one of the biggest contenders in the NFC, and they should go on another deep playoff run in 2025. Losing preseason games doesn't really mean much of anything, as it's a time in which coaches can evaluate the depth of their rosters. Despite Campbell being upset, it's good the team is making a ton of mistakes now. It is better to make mistakes early on, so those mistakes can be corrected by the time Week 1 rolls around. Also, many of the players currently on the Lions roster might not even make the 53-man roster. Either way, Campbell is showing the fire that he is known for, and why Detroit has completely bought into his leadership. For more on the Lions and NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
The pivotal British & Irish Lions pick that could undo Australia in first Test
If the task of selecting any international side involves a head coach blending art and science, then the job of nailing down a British & Irish Lions Test team is a lot like alchemy, an exploration of the unknown pursued in the hope of finding a magical elixir. For Andy Farrell, this has been a unique challenge; with the quadrennial tourists, there can be no thought given to fixtures of the future – just the task at hand of three Tests against Australia in which his Lions legacy will be defined. Unanimity of approving voices is an impossible pursuit, proud patriots, dissidents and detractors sure to argue the case of those excluded regardless of the actual composition. Take, for example, the exclusion from the first Test of the unfortunate Jac Morgan, which leaves the Lions without a Welshman for the first time since the 19th century – on form, the scavenging openside has probably been the best No 7 on tour but misses out to Tom Curry, already a three-time Test Lion and the sort of big match animal the side will feel they need against the Wallabies. Morgan and the rest of those excluded will cross their fingers that a chance will come; 32 players were used across the three Tests on the Lions' last trip here, and 31 made appearances against the Springboks four years ago. Those picked cannot afford to simply count their blessings and cruise through – Peter O'Mahony captained the side to defeat in the first Test against New Zealand in 2017 and never wore the famous red shirt again. Andy Farrell has named his side for the first test in Brisbane (Getty Images) 'There's obviously scope for all sorts of things to happen in the next few weeks,' Farrell suggested. 'But these guys who are renting the shirt on Saturday, they have a responsibility to perform, to put themselves in the best place to wear it again in the second Test and therefore in the third Test.' Somewhat strangely, Farrell's thankless task was almost made easier by his injury absentees, clarifying areas of contention to make the jigsaw puzzle slot more smoothly into place. Were it not for a concussion, there is a strong chance that Garry Ringrose would have worn No 13. With the Irishman out, an all-Scottish midfield of Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones makes sense outside of nailed-on starter Finn Russell. Mack Hansen had made a run for a spot in the 23 before his ill-timed foot injury; he and Blair Kinghorn, still not at full fitness after his own knee knock, being ruled out has almost necessitated Marcus Smith's place on the bench, given the fly-half's ability to provide full-back cover. And so it is up front where the greater points of contention come. From the moment Farrell selected five openside options and six locks in his initial 38-man squad, the suggestion had been that one of each would man the flanks come the Tests. There was no wrong answer to the question of who wore No 7, with Curry's physicality edging out Morgan, Ben Earl, Josh van der Flier and Henry Pollock. While the selection was being named, the latter pair and Duhan van der Merwe were on a seaplane out to the Great Barrier Reef in support of one of the Lions' charity partners, an unforgettable trip that nobody wished to be on, given what it meant selection-wise. At No 8, Jack Conan's extra bulk always felt necessary to ballast the good ship Lions as it embarks in earnest. More intriguing tactically is the deployment of Tadhg Beirne on the blindside. Like Curry, it is tough to make a case based on pure form, but Farrell has placed trust in a figure he knows well. The Munsterman's installation as captain twice during this tour was indicative of the head coach's admiration for a player who has looked a little leggy at the end of a long season, but only two locks (Maro Itoje and Grant Gilchrist) hit more combined rucks on both sides of the ball during the Six Nations. In a series in which the battle on the floor will be key, Beirne's ability as clearer and carrion feeder make him a valuable figure, even if some mobility is sacrificed. Tadhg Beirne's all-round game has earned him selection on the blindside (Getty Images) So, too, does his work at the lineout. International coaches remain split on the impacts of the law tweaks on the lineout that came in at the start of the Six Nations – England's Steve Borthwick has generally moved away from a long-limbed six – but set-piece instability is a surefire way of ridding yourself of a platform. Beirne, Ireland's lead lineout caller, has the ability to take some of the load off captain Itoje while putting pressure on the Wallabies aerially. 'Obviously we feel that's the right balance for the first Test, the combination of Tadhg being the type of player that he is, his quality in the set-piece, but his all-round ability, either as the jackaller or a ball-playing six, complements Jack [Conan],' Farrell explained. 'In a similar regard, Tom being the engine that we all know that we need in regards to Test match football.' How the hosts play is almost of more intrigue now confirmation has come of Rob Valetini and Will Skelton's injuries, their forwards packing less of a punch with Angus Bell only on the bench. The sense is of a home side that may look to stay in the fight and spoil the Lions' ball; Farrell, by contrast, will be hoping his side can dictate terms. Lions XV to face Australia in Brisbane (Saturday 19 July, 11am BST): 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Tadhg Furlong; 4 Maro Itoje (capt), 5 Joe McCarthy; 6 Tadhg Beirne, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Jack Conan; 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 10 Finn Russell; 11 James Lowe, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 13 Huw Jones, 14 Tommy Freeman; 15 Hugo Keenan. : 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Ben Earl; 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Marcus Smith, 23 Bundee Aki.
