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Jackson Meeks Jackson Meeks Converts to tight end
Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 12:04 PM
Meeks has converted from wide receiver to tight end during spring practices, John Maakaron of SI reports.
Analysis: Meeks inked a reserve/future contract with the Lions in January after spending the entire 2025 season on the team's practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster twice last year but didn't record any stats, playing five snaps on offense and 23 snaps on special teams. In order to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, Meeks will need to display impressive development at his new position, particularly as a blocker. |
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Lawrence Keys Lawrence Keys Signs with Detroit
Fri, Jun 19, 2026, 4:11 PM
Keys signed a contract with the Lions on Thursday.
Analysis: Lawrence last spent time with the Bills in 2024 but was let go prior to the season due to a leg injury. The 26-year-old had one catch for 13 yards in his singular preseason game in Buffalo. The former Tulane prospect will compete for a spot on the Lions' 53-man roster as the offseason program continues. |
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Kendrick Law Kendrick Law Shifts to IR
Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 3:34 PM
The Lions placed Law (knee) on the reserve/injured list Wednesday.
Analysis: Head coach Dan Campbell told reporters in early June that Law tore his ACL during practice, so his move to IR comes as no surprise. Law, a 2026 fifth-round pick from Kentucky, appeared in 12 games during his final collegiate season, catching 53 passes for 540 yards and three touchdowns. In a corresponding move, Detroit signed wideouts Tay Martin, Tarik Black and Lucky Jackson. |
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Lucky Jackson Lucky Jackson Brought in by Detroit
Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 3:30 PM
The Lions signed Jackson on Wednesday.
Analysis: The 28-year-old was one of three receivers brought in by the Lions on Wednesday, joining Tay Martin and Tarik Black. Jackson last appeared in three regular-season games for the Vikings in 2023, failing to record an offensive stat across 35 total snaps (32 on special teams, three on offense). |
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Tarik Black Tarik Black Finds work in Detroit
Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 3:26 PM
The Lions signed Black on Wednesday.
Analysis: Black spent time with the Dolphins' during the 2025 offseason but ultimately failed to make the 53-man roster. His last in-game NFL action came with the Jets in 2021, when he caught one of two targets for 10 yards during one contest. Now with the Lions, expect the Texas product to compete for a reserve role as the offseason progresses. |
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Tay Martin Tay Martin Picked up by Detroit
Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 3:22 PM
Martin signed with the Lions on Wednesday.
Analysis: Martin made three appearances for the Commanders last season, catching both of his targets for 23 yards while playing 72 total snaps (42 on special teams, 30 on offense). Now in Detroit, he's expected to compete for a reserve role in the receiving corps ahead of the 2026 season. |
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Isaac TeSlaa Isaac TeSlaa Showing maturity entering Year 2
Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 10:04 AM
Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday at mandatory minicamp that TeSlaa has "impressed" the coaching staff this offseason and already "feels like a veteran," Tim Twentyman of the team's official site reports.
Analysis: Campbell noted that he wished Detroit had gotten TeSlaa more touches as a rookie and said the receiver "became a guy [...] we had a lot of trust in" down the stretch. The 2025 third-round pick appeared in all 17 regular-season games, recording 16 catches for 239 yards and six touchdowns. While TeSlaa faces stiff competition for targets alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta (back), the "consistency" that Campbell praised could help him earn a larger role in 2026. |
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Sam LaPorta Sam LaPorta Trending in right direction
Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 9:50 AM
Coach Dan Campbell said that LaPorta (back), who was a partial participant in Tuesday's mandatory minicamp practice, could be cleared for the start of training camp next month, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports. "We like where he's going," Campbell said of the tight end Tuesday. "He's trending the right way."
Analysis: LaPorta, who underwent surgery this past November to address a herniated disc in his back, hasn't taken part in full-speed team drills this spring. However, the tight end did work with the Lions' first-team offense during the 25-minute jog-through portion of Tuesday's session before working off to the side with a trainer during seven-on-seven and position drills. As LaPorta progresses toward working fully coming training camp, Birkett adds that the 2023 second-rounder is expected to sign a contract extension with Detroit at some point this summer. Prior to his injury, LaPorta recorded a 40/489/3 receiving line (on 49 targets) in nine regular-season contests in 2025. |
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Unlikely to return during offseason
Thu, Jun 11, 2026, 6:46 PM
Branch (Achilles) will most likely remain on the sideline until training camp at the earliest, Eric Woodyard of ESPN reports.
Analysis: The safety tore his ACL in Week 14 of the 2025 campaign, and while he's on track in his recovery, he has not recovered just yet, per Woodyard. It's also possible that Branch opens the 2026 campaign on the physically unable to perform list, according to Woodyard, citing Lions coach Dan Campbell. Branch recorded 75 tackles (48 solo) and nine pass breakups in 12 games last year. |
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Going to Motor City
Thu, Jun 4, 2026, 7:33 PM
Detroit signed Duplessis on Thursday.
Analysis: The undrafted rookie out of Delaware is getting a chance to make an impression with the Lions with OTAs underway. As a senior in 2025, he caught 60 passes for 824 yards and five touchdowns, and he also got work returning kicks and punts, which could help him get more practice reps early on. |
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Timeline for return still blurry
Thu, Jun 4, 2026, 6:40 PM
Coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that the Lions don't expect to know until training camp what their expectations for Joseph (knee) will be for 2026, Colton Pouncy of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Joseph sat out all of Detroit's last 13 games in 2025 due to a lingering knee injury, and he's apparently still not in shape for football activities with OTAs in progress. As long as he remains unavailable, veteran free agent acquisition Chuck Clark could see more opportunities to work with the first team. |
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Sam LaPorta Sam LaPorta Practices Thursday
Thu, Jun 4, 2026, 3:01 PM
LaPorta (back) participated in Detroit's second open practice of OTAs on Thursday, Tim Twentyman of detroitlions.com reports.
Analysis: LaPorta didn't participate last week during the first OTA practice that was open to reporters, but it's possible he's been practicing behind closed doors. Now that reporters have spotted LaPorta on the field, it's clear he has at least some level of clearance for football activities, coming back from mid-November surgery on a herniated disc. LaPorta said in January that he expected to have full clearance before the start of training camp in late July. |
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Kendrick Law Kendrick Law Tears ACL on Tuesday
Thu, Jun 4, 2026, 10:20 AM
Coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that Law tore his ACL at practice Tuesday, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.
Analysis: The Lions took Law in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 168th overall, and the Kentucky product was projected to provide the team with wideout depth behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Isaac TeSlaa. Given the timing of his injury, Law is likely to be placed on IR and then set his sights on returning to the field as the 2027 season approaches. For now, Greg Dortch, Cedrick Wilson, Tom Kennedy and Dominic Lovett are candidates to compete for snaps behind Detroit's top WR trio. |
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Jahmyr Gibbs Jahmyr Gibbs Gets "bell cow" label from Campbell
Thu, Jun 4, 2026, 10:17 AM
Lions coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that Gibbs will be the team's "bellcow" in 2026, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports.
Analysis: "We're gonna hang our hat on him," said Campbell, whose assumption of play-calling duties last November coincided with a decline in David Montgomery's role. Gibbs' rushing efficiency also declined, though not until the final month, and he averaged 5.3 catches per game with Campbell calling plays. The Lions then traded Montgomery to Houston this offseason, with Isiah Pacheco coming in as a much cheaper depth option on a one-year, $1.8 million contract. Campbell is expected to call plays again, despite hiring an offensive coordinator (Drew Petzing) with plenty of experience in that regard. |
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Signs four-year extension
Thu, May 21, 2026, 6:03 PM
Campbell is signing a four-year, $81 million extension with the Lions, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: The Lions declined Campbell's fifth-year option for 2027 ($21.9 million) and will now keep him around long term on a deal that likely lands much softer on the 2027 cap sheet. He now deservedly ranks among the highest-paid off-ball LBs in the NFL, coming off a 2025 campaign with 176 tackles, five sacks, four pass defenses, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Campbell hasn't missed a game since the Lions took him 28th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. |
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Cedrick Wilson Jr. Cedrick Wilson Headed to Detroit
Wed, May 20, 2026, 3:54 PM
Wilson signed with the Lions on Wednesday.
Analysis: The 2018 sixth-round pick from Boise State spent his 2025 campaign with the Dolphins, but it now appears he's found a new home in Detroit. Across 10 appearance last season, Wilson played 207 offensive snaps and caught five of nine targets for 44 yards. He's expected to compete for a reserve role in the Lions' receiver corps as the offseason progresses. |
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Miles Kitselman Miles Kitselman Joining Lions
Tue, May 12, 2026, 7:42 PM
The Lions signed Kitselman as an undrafted free agent Tuesday.
Analysis: Kitselman spent the 2025 season with Tennessee, where he caught 26 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He will look to compete for a depth spot on Detroit's roster and could be a candidate to land on their practice squad. |
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Going to Motor City
Wed, Apr 29, 2026, 7:44 PM
Detroit signed Tufele on Wednesday.
Analysis: Tufele appeared in 12 games in a depth role with the Jets in 2025, but now he's moving on to his third team in as many seasons. Now that it looks like they are going to be without veteran starter DJ Reader, it's not too hard to imagine Tufele earning a spot on the Lions 53-man roster for 2026. |
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Heading to Detroit
Wed, Apr 29, 2026, 7:36 PM
The Lions signed Bachie on Wednesday.
Analysis: Detroit will be Bachie's fourth team in as many years. He's gotten regular-season snaps in each of his seven seasons since he got his pro debut with Philadelphia in 2020, mostly on special teams. The Lions lost veteran starter Alex Anzalone to the Buccaneers in free agency back in March, so there could be room for Bachie to stick on the 53-man roster in a depth role in 2026. |
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Fifth-year option declined
Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 7:50 PM
The Lions declined Campbell's fifth-year option Tuesday, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports.
Analysis: Campbell is coming off the most productive season of his career, logging 176 tackles (89 solo), including 5.0 sacks, but that seemingly wasn't enough to convince Detroit to exercise his option. The 25-year-old will now play out the final year of his rookie deal during the 2026 campaign and look to earn a contract extension. |
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