Last season, the Detroit Lions struggled to locate a third starting wide receiver during training camp. The duel between Antoine Green, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Daurice Fountain yielded no results, leaving Detroit scurrying to find a solution among other teams’ cutbacks.
That’s when they had former Broncos receiver Tim Patrick fall into their lap, and things couldn’t have gone better. While the Lions didn’t need him to have a high target share (he was targeted 44 times in 16 games), he was still an important part of the offense. He provided Jared Goff with a big-bodied target while also serving as a willing and capable run blocker.
Because of his long injury history, Patrick was paid the veteran minimum by the Lions last year ($1.125 million). It was a fantastic deal for a newcomer in a high-profile role. And, while Patrick is getting a raise this year after re-signing with the Lions, he still represents a significant savings for Detroit.
Patrick’s contract, which was originally touted as a one-year deal worth up to $4 million, is actually only for one year and $2.5 million. This is a breakdown of the numbers.
Tim Patrick – one-year contract, $2.5 million, completely guaranteed.
Source: OverTheCap.
Base salary: $1,255,000, completely guaranteed.
Signing bonus: $1,245,000
Cap hit: $2,500,000
Because the contract was initially described as up to $4 million, we can safely assumed there are $1.5 million in incentives baked
deal.
There are currently no reports on what those incentives are, but they are often connected to output, snaps played, postseason honors, or team accomplishments.
Otherwise, the structure of the transaction could not be simpler. A fully guaranteed base wage (at the veteran minimum), plus a signing bonus that effectively doubles his earnings. Detroit will not save any money by cutting Patrick, so while he isn’t a lock at his present salary, there’s little reason to let him go.
Looking at Detroit’s whole wide receiver group, the Lions are getting great deals from almost everyone.
Amon-Ra St. Brown: $13.91 million, ranking 16th among WRs in 2025.
Kalif Raymond: $6.38 million (38th)
Jameson Williams: $5.6 million—40th.
Tim Patrick: $2.5 million, 74th
Despite the individual reductions, the Lions are spending the tenth most at the position, with more over $31.5 million in salary space dedicated to wide receivers. That makes sense, given that they have two top-20 receivers and an All-Pro returner.
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