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Rashean Mathis, Matt Prater, others want to re-sign with Lions

Several of the Detroit Lions' impending free agents want to re-sign with the team.

Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

The harsh reality of Sunday's loss is that many Detroit Lions players likely just played their final game with the team. Some will be released in the coming months, and others will depart for new teams in free agency. And it's possible that one or two players may have just played their final game in the NFL and are now headed for retirement.

At this point, it's tough to really speculate about what the Lions' offseason plans will entail, but several soon-to-be free agents want to re-sign and stay in Detroit. Just look at cornerback Rashean Mathis, who will be 35 next August. He is coming off a solid season, and he wants to play for at least one more year with the Lions.

Kicker Matt Prater, who joined the Lions during the season after being released by the Denver Broncos, isn't nearing the end of his NFL career or anything like that. Chances are he will draw interest from multiple teams if he hits free agency, but he would also prefer to just stay in Detroit.

Defensive tackle Nick Fairley, quarterback Kellen Moore and center Dominic Raiola are just some of the other impending free agents who want to stay with the Lions.

Finally, running back Reggie Bush wants to remain with the Lions going forward. He's in a much different situation considering he's under contract through 2016 but could be a cap casualty this offseason. It's unclear if he will be in the Lions' future plans at this point in time, but he's planning on being in Detroit next season.

This could be a very significant offseason for the Lions. With notable players like Ndamukong Suh and Fairley headed for free agency and others like Raiola and Mathis nearing the end of their careers, this could be a much different-looking team next season. Only time will tell just how many changes are coming to the Lions, but this is certainly shaping up to be an interesting offseason.

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