The Detroit Lions announced they have re-signed three of their own exclusive rights free agents. The Lions brought back EDGE James Houston, OL Kayode Awosika and RB Craig Reynolds for the 2024 season.
All three were ERFAs, meaning they have under three years of qualifying NFL service. The process with exclusive rights free agents is a simple one. If the Lions extend a qualifying offer of the league minimum salary, the ERFA returns to Detroit. If the player refuses the tender offer, they are not eligible to play for any other NFL team in 2024.
Reynolds just missed being a restricted free agent in service time. He’s been Detroit’s No. 3 running back for most of the last three seasons and has also provided some return specialist duty.
Houston burst onto the scene as a sixth-round rookie in 2022, bagging eight sacks in the final seven games after initially not making the 53-man roster. He played in just two games last fall with an injury.
Awosika has played both guard and tackle in a reserve capacity for the Lions, seeing action in 25 games in the last two years, starting five of those games.