Wednesday has been a big day for the Detroit Lions. Shortly after signing wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown to a four-year extension, Detroit agreed to terms with offensive tackle Penei Sewell on a four-year, $112 million extension that makes him the NFL's highest-paid offensive lineman, according to NFL Media.
Sewell is more than deserving of his new title as the league's top-paid offensive lineman. An immediate starter in Detroit, Sewell was named to the Pro Bowl in 2022 while helping the Lions record a winning record. In 2023, he was tabbed as an All-Pro while playing an integral role in the Lions getting to within a game of the Super Bowl.
Sewell's presence helped the Lions boast the NFL's fifth-ranked scoring offense last season. Quarterback Jared Goff has enjoyed two of his best NFL seasons with Sewell protecting him. Running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs have also benefitted from Sewell's blocking. Last season, they nearly became the eighth set of teammates in NFL history to both run for over 1,000 yards in the same season.
The success Sewell has enjoyed in Detroit is more significant given the fact that he was a top-10 draft pick. In fact, the Bengals, who needed an offensive tackle back then, instead chose to select wideout Ja'Marr Chase, who had his fifth-year option picked up on Wednesday.
Cincinnati surely isn't regretting its decision to draft Chase but, as Wednesday clearly showed, the Lions are clearly happy with Sewell and their decision to draft him three years ago.
