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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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Jahmyr Gibbs Jahmyr Gibbs Detroit picks up fifth-year option
Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 5:03 PM
The Lions exercised Gibbs' fifth-year option for the 2027 season Tuesday, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports.
Analysis: It was a no-brainer move for the Lions, as Gibbs will collect a fully guaranteed $14.293 million salary in 2027 as a result. That still puts Gibbs well below the $20.6 million per year Saquon Barkley is earning as the league's highest-paid running back. As long as Gibbs keeps producing like he has since coming into the NFL as the 12th overall pick in 2023, he should become the league's top-earning back. He's posted back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and has totaled 3,580 yards and 39 touchdowns on the ground across three campaigns. In addition to his dynamic ability as a runner, Gibbs is as equally effective in the passing game, securing 181 of 228 targets for 1,449 yards and 10 scores in 49 regular-season contests. With David Montgomery now out of the picture, the ceiling is even higher for Gibbs headed into 2026. |
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Picked up by Lions
Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 4:46 PM
Detroit selected West in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 222nd overall.
Analysis: West spent his entire four-year college career in Tennessee, and while he wasn't a consistent starter on defense for the Volunteers, he did see his playing time steadily increase. He finished the 2025 season with 23 total tackles, including 4.0 sacks, one forced fumble and one pass defense across 12 games. West primarily operated as an edge rusher in college but would also line up in a three-point stance on the interior defensive line. The latter position could be his calling card in the NFL, given his shorter stature (6-foot-2, 283-pound frame). |
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Finds home in Detroit
Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 4:05 PM
The Lions selected Gill-Howard in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 205th overall
Analysis: Gill-Howard doesn't boast a lengthy resume, playing three seasons at Northern Illinois (only one start) before transferring to Texas Tech in 2025, where he started the first six games before an ankle injury prematurely ended his campaign. Gill-Howard's measurables (6-foot-1, 280 pounds), arm length and hand size are underwhelming for his position, but he's athletic for his frame and has developed an array of rushing moves. He's also willing to be physical in the running game. He'll slot in as a depth option for the Lions and will aim to overcome his size limitations at the next level. |
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Lands with Lions
Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 2:22 PM
The Lions selected Law in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 168th overall.
Analysis: The Lions sent the Bills a sixth-round pick to move up 13 spots to select Law. After three unassuming seasons at Alabama, Law transferred to Kentucky and started eight of 12 games, leading the team with 53 receptions for 540 yards and three touchdowns. Law was mostly used as an underneath receiver for the Wildcats with a 3.4-yard average depth of target, but he's quick and can gain yards after the catch. There's not a clear role available in Detroit's offense, with receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams leading the way while running back Jahmyr Gibbs continues to command a hefty target share. Thus, Law will look to carve out a gadget role while contributing on special teams, both as a gunner and a returner. |
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Heads to Detroit
Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 1:49 PM
The Lions selected Abney in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 157th overall.
Analysis: Abney mostly served as an outside corner during his three-year college career at Arizona State, and he was named to the All-Big 12 First-Team in 2025 after posting 44 total tackles, including 1.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and 12 pass defenses (two interceptions) across 12 games. Abney allowed a completion rate of just 44.4 percent when targeted in 2025, a testament to how feisty he can be given his slightly undersized 5-foot-10 frame. He has the athletic instincts and anticipation to thrive both in zone defense and man-to-man and could establish himself as a key piece to the Lions' secondary if he can continue to develop his technique and discipline. Abney figures to enter training camp battling for a depth role at cornerback behind Terrion Arnold (shoulder) and D.J. Reed, with Rock Ya-Sin, Roger McCreary and Christian Izien also in the mix. |
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Close to home in Detroit
Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 12:10 PM
The Lions selected Rolder in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 118th overall.
Analysis: Rolder didn't start until his fourth year at Michigan, but he impressed at weakside linebacker as a run stopper and in coverage. While he didn't run the 40-yard dash, he's considered to be a strong athlete. Rolder plays aggressively and is a sure tackler, as he had a 4.7 percent missed tackle rate in 2025. He likely needs to develop a bit considering his lack of experience, but he was a dependable special-teams player at Michigan and should contribute in that facet immediately with the Lions. |
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Snapped up by Detroit
Fri, Apr 24, 2026, 6:59 PM
The Lions selected Moore in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 44th overall.
Analysis: Moore spent his entire four-year college career with Michigan, and he will stay in state after being scooped up by the Lions. He was an Honorable Mention on the All-Big Ten teams in both 2023 and 2024 before breaking out in his senior year in 2025, when he posted 30 tackles, including 10.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and three pass defenses across 12 games, en route to being selected to the All-Big Ten First-Team. Moore's steady increase in production over the course of his college career could translate to the NFL, and he has the size, athleticism and physicality to compete at the next level. His addition upgrades a Lions defensive front that is headlined by fellow former Wolverine Aidan Hutchinson. |
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Picked by Lions
Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 8:52 PM
The Lions selected Miller in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 17th overall.
Analysis: Miller (6-foot-7, 317 pounds) was a standout four-year starter at Clemson, where he developed his reputation as a rugged right tackle. Miller was a better athlete than expected at the combine, logging excellent marks across the board and making clear that his NFL transition should be about as easy as it gets. Expect Miller to start at right tackle while Penei Sewell moves over to the left. |
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