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Ansah (knee) and the Lions aren't expected to reach agreement on a long-term deal before Monday's 4:00 PM ET deadline to sign franchise players, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The team placed the franchise tag on Ansah to prevent him from reaching free agency. However, the Lions indicated that they want to give first-year head coach Matt Patricia a season to work with Ansah before committing to a long-term contract, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Ansah will thus play out the 2018 season on a $17.1 million tender, with the chance to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the league year. If he proves to be a strong fit in Patricia's scheme, the Lions could use the franchise tag again next offseason to keep him off market, but it would cost approximately $20.6 million. The 29-year-old defensive end might decide to hold off on signing his tender, which would allow him to skip part or all of training camp and the preseason.
