Lions to receive $55.2 million in relocation fees, per ESPN

You many think the recent relocations of the St. Louis Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Los Angeles Chargers and the Oakland Las Vegas Raiders have nothing to do with the Detroit Lions, but you’d be wrong. When a team files for relocation, it is understood by NFL owners that they will have to pay a specific relocation fee to the other 31 franchises. Often times, this is why owners vote in favor of other teams moving.

According to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, the combined fees of all three teams comes out to a whopping $55.2 million per team. That money is not available for the team to spend in terms of salary cap, but rather goes right into the franchise’s piggy bank.

You may think this is perfect timing for the Lions, since they’re currently undergoing stadium renovations that are estimated to cost the team $100 million. However, the Lions won’t see a penny of these relocation fees for at least another two years. Rovell explains:

The Rams and the Chargers will each pay $645 million beginning in December 2019 and ending in December 2028. Neither the Rams nor the Chargers will receive revenue from the Los Angeles relocation fees.

The Raiders will pay $378 million over 10 years beginning in the year they move to Las Vegas, sources with knowledge of the numbers said.

So while $55.2 million sounds like a lot of money—and it is—Detroit will only get small installments of that payment starting in two years and spread out over the next 11 or so.

What would you like to see the team spend some of that money on?