Michael Brockers is a healthy scratch again on Sunday, so will the veteran defensive tackle ask the Lions for his release?
Based on his level of play over the last season-plus with the Detroit Lions, defensive tackle Michael Brockers should not playing much, if at all. With John Cominsky and Josh Paschal back in the fold for Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys, Brockers was a healthy scratch.
It seemed likely Brockers would be a healthy scrath until further notice, and indeed for Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins he is inactive again.
Brockers may be garnering some interest as Tuesday’s trade deadline nears. But the Lions won’t get more than a sixth or seventh-round pick for him, and shy of rare finds like rookie linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez it won’t be a consquential extra pick.
Brockers surely would like to be playing, and at this point unless injuries hit the Lions’ defensive line he won’t be in uniform on Sundays.
Will Michael Brockers ask the Lions for his release?
After last week’s game, Lions head coach Dan Campbell offered the expected platitudes about Brockers still having a place on the team and about the oldest player on the roster acting like a professional.
(Brockers) provides a tremendous amount of leadership to us, and he’s helped that room in multiple areas, and so there again, just from where we’re at right now, we felt like once we got Cominsky and Paschal back with where it is, that was the right lineup for us,” “But just like last week, when we talked and communicated it with him, he’s like, ‘Look, I’m all in.’ He’s practicing, he’s, ‘You need me, you need me. In the meantime, I’m going to continue to help these young guys get better.’ He’s a pro’s pro, man.”
Brockers is not going to make a big public or private stink about his situation, and no one with the Lions will paint him in a bad light. But it wouldn’t be a surprise if he has more delicately asked to be traded, if it’s possible, or released if a deal to move him isn’t done before Tuesday afternoon. If the ask hasn’t happened yet, it may be coming.