In desperate need of healthy bodies to fill out an injury-ravaged defense, the Detroit Lions are turning to an old friend. The Lions are signing veteran linebacker Anthony Pittman to the active roster, poaching Pittman from the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad.
Pittman spent the first four years of his NFL career in Detroit, beginning in 2019 through 2023, with him taking off the COVID-19 year of 2020. A local product from D-II Wayne State, Pittman earned his spot as a special teams ace who played sparingly on defense in his time with the Lions.
The 28-year-old has played only on special teams as a practice squad elevation during his time in Jacksonville. That could be his role in his return to Detroit, where five of the top six linebackers on the Lions roster are currently injured entering Week 16.
The move has not been officially made yet, though numerous reports have confirmed Pittman’s rejoining Detroit. The Lions have several players heading to injured reserve, including DT Alim McNeill and CB Khalil Dorsey, who are each out for the season.