Free agent guard Graham Glasgow is returning to the Detroit Lions on a one-year contract worth up to $4.5 million, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Thursday.
Glasgow spent the first four seasons of his career with the Lions after they selected him in the third round of the 2016 draft. He played both guard and center for the Lions, starting 58 games.
He could serve as a replacement for offensive lineman Evan Brown, who agreed to join the Seattle Seahawks, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Brown had started 24 games on the Lions' offensive line over the past two seasons.
Detroit's offensive line allowed just 24 sacks this past season for 163 yards lost, which were the second fewest in the NFL behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That protection allowed the Lions offense, spearheaded by quarterback Jared Goff, to operate with efficiency, finishing with the fifth-most points (453) scored in the league. Lions center Frank Ragnow also earned his second career Pro Bowl nod while second-year tackle Penei Sewell was honored as a first-time Pro Bowler as a replacement, and both are returning.
Glasgow, 30, spent the past three seasons with the Denver Broncos but was released before the start of the 2023 league year in a move that freed up $11 million in salary cap space.
He played in every game in 2022, with 13 starts, after suffering a fractured ankle and torn ligaments in Week 9 of the 2021 season. Glasgow agreed to rework his four-year, $44 million contract, reducing his base salary by $5.3 million, to return to the team for the 2022 season.
ESPN's Eric Woodyard and Jeff Legwold contributed to this report.