Detroit Lions lose linebacker Grant Stuard to NFC contender

Stuard signs two-year deal with Los Angeles Rams after one season in Detroit

Mar. 12, 2026 at 9:19pm

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The Detroit Lions have lost another linebacker to free agency, as veteran Grant Stuard is leaving on a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams. Stuard was a core special-teams player and captain during his one and only season in Detroit, making 19 total tackles with one tackle-for-loss and playing 375 special-teams snaps.

Why it matters

The loss of Stuard and fellow linebacker Alex Anzalone, who is joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, represents a blow to the Lions' linebacker depth and special teams units as the team looks to build on a promising 2025 season.

The details

Stuard said part of the allure of joining Detroit was having the chance to get reps on defense, but that never came to fruition as he finished with just 13 defensive snaps, the second-lowest mark of his career.

  • Stuard signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams on March 12, 2026.
  • Stuard spent the 2025 season with the Detroit Lions.

The players

Grant Stuard

A veteran linebacker who spent one season with the Detroit Lions before signing with the Los Angeles Rams.

Alex Anzalone

The Detroit Lions' defensive captain who is leaving to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a two-year deal.

Los Angeles Rams

An NFC contender that signed linebacker Grant Stuard to a two-year deal.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The team that signed linebacker Alex Anzalone, the Detroit Lions' defensive captain, to a two-year deal.

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What they’re saying

“Part of the allure of joining Detroit was having the chance to get reps on defense.”

— Grant Stuard

The takeaway

The departures of Stuard and Anzalone leave the Detroit Lions with holes to fill at linebacker and on special teams as they look to build on their promising 2025 season.