Graham Glasgow 'open' to return but isn't feeling the love from Lions

Justin Rogers
The Detroit News

Allen Park — This might be Graham Glasgow's last week as a member of the Detroit Lions. The fourth-year offensive lineman might have had his last practice with the team on Friday and might play his last game on Sunday. That reality has been something in the back of his mind longer than the past few days. 

Graham Glasgow

"If we're being honest, you take it day by day, but that's something I've kind of been thinking about this whole year," Glasgow said. "At this point in time, it's the end. I don't know how things will go and nobody knows. We'll see with that. Just looking forward to going out with these guys one more time and seeing what we can do."

To be clear, Glasgow isn't ruling out returning to Detroit, but the more he talks about it, the less confident he seems to be in that being how the situation will play out.

The Lions are still clearly trying to establish the roster's foundation at the end of coach Matt Patricia's second season. Glasgow, on the surface, appears to be a building block. He's tough, durable and versatile, all the things the coaching staff emphasizes as important. 

More: Lions vs. Packers scouting report: Za'Darius Smith a menace on Green Bay 'D'

But when asked if he was surprised the Lions haven't made a bigger push to keep him, Glasgow hesitated with offering any details of conversations between his representation and the team. He suggested he might feel more comfortable doing so after the season finale against Green Bay. Still, you get the sense there hasn't been serious talks between the sides. 

"I'm only operating off how much information I have and there's not really a lot of information," he said. "I'm just going about it how I can."

With no sign of a serious extension offer from the Lions, Glasgow will head into free agency, where he'll have the opportunity to capitalize on a market that has been paying top interior linemen handsomely in recent years. 

"At this point in time, it would almost be dumb not to," Glasgow said about testing the market. "I made it through the entire year. I'm open to talk to these guys (the Lions), but they're actually going to have a conversation."

A third-round pick out of Michigan in 2016, Glasgow has appeared in 61 games for the Lions, starting 57. He's missed just one game the past three years, when a back injury sidelined him against Oakland earlier this season. In the two previous campaigns, he only missed a single snap. 

This year, the Lions resorted to rotating Glasgow off the field one series each half, in favor of veteran Kenny Wiggins. 

More: Lions promote Wayne State's Anthony Pittman off practice squad

"I think it was something probably a little bit unique to us earlier in the year, but I think we had some really tight competition with that and with those positions," Lions coach Matt Patricia said. 

Despite the rotation, Glasgow continued to excel. Pro Football Focus has graded him as the 12th best player at the position, just ahead of former Lion Larry Warford. 

Glasgow made $2.03 million in the final year of his rookie contract. He might be able to quadruple that in free agency. Currently 33 interior lineman have contracts averaging over $8 million per season. 

"I'm just here to play one more game and do what I can for the team and we'll see what happens after that," he said. "I've had a lot of fun. I've made a lot of friends here and it's been a good time. I've really been in the area here now almost 10 years. It's been great. I've really enjoyed it."

Lions vs. Packers

Kickoff: Sunday, 1 p.m. Ford Field

TV/radio: Fox/760 AM

Records: Lions 3-11-1, Packers 12-3

Line: Packers by 13