The Detroit Lions need to trim down to 53 players ahead of the 4 p.m. NFL roster cuts deadline. Get live updates on player transactions and releases.
The Detroit Lions have until 4 p.m. Tuesday to cut their roster to 53 players. We'll keep track of every move the Lions make — and the big moves around the league — here.
Lions close to setting 53-man roster
The Detroit Lions did not make any transactions official on Monday. But unofficially, the team is close to having its 53-man roster set.
The Lions already have informed several of their most prominent bubble players – quarterback Hendon Hooker, offensive tackle Dan Skipper, edge rusher Nate Lynn and receivers Jackson Meeks and Tom Kennedy - they will be cut at today’s 4 p.m. roster deadline. The biggest decisions they have left seem to be injury-related.
Several players vying for back-end roster spots finished the preseason battling injuries.
Rookie defensive end Ahmed Hassanein suffered a pectoral injury in the Lions’ Aug. 16 preseason loss to the Miami Dolphins. Backup center Trystan Colon is dealing with an elbow injury with an uncertain date for return. Safety Morice Norris hasn’t practiced since he was taken off the field by ambulance in an Aug. 8 preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons. Running back Sione Vaki has been in and out of practice all preseason.
The Lions have decisions to make on all those players, whether to keep them on the 53-man roster, put them on injured reserve for the season, put them on IR with a designation to return, clear them physically or in some cases release them with an injury settlement.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said Monday he wasn’t sure if the team would use its two IR-return designations to start the year. Teams can bring eight players back from IR in a season, including up to two designated to return on cut day.
“We’re not there yet,” Campbell said. “We’re up for debate. We’re talking about everything right now.”
Beyond the active players dealing with injuries, the Lions also have decisions to make with Alim McNeill, Josh Paschal and Malcolm Rodriguez. McNeill and Rodriguez are on the physically unable to perform list while recovering from 2024 knee injuries, and Paschal is on the nonfootball injury list. Initially, Campbell said the Lions hoped to get Paschal back in early September, though he changed that timeline more recently to say the defensive end “could (return) a little later than we had hoped.”
It's notable, at least, the Lions waived Lynn, who played well this preseason, with so many defensive linemen – McNeill, Paschal and Hassanein – with murky timelines to return.
Asked Monday about the reinforcements he has coming in the front seven with McNeill, Paschal and Rodriguez and how they could impact roster decisions, Campbell said it’s possible but the focus has to be on making the right moves now and referenced two players instead of three providing help down the road.
“It’s hard enough to think about your 53, but then you know you’ve got really good players coming back that are going to help you, there’s no question about it, that you’re going to need to get on the roster,” he said. “It does, so you do think about those two, but at the same token, you’ve got to be careful and just worry about today. Worry about what’s right in front of us a little bit and the odds unfortunately’ll be that it’ll shake out. We won’t have to make that decision (of who to cut and who to keep because someone else will get hurt). I hope not, but that’s kind of how it’s been here for going on five years.”
Lions cuts Monday: Tracking every player move
These players are expected to be cut from the Detroit Lions roster as of Monday, Aug. 25:
- Linebacker Anthony Pittman
- Wide receiver Tom Kennedy
- Quarterback Hendon Hooker
- Edge rusher Mitchell Agude
- Safety Ian Kennelly
- Offensive tackle Dan Skipper
- Wide receiver Jackson Meeks
- Safety Erick Hallett
- Running back Deon Jackson
- Defensive tackle Myles Adams
- Edge rusher Nate Lynn
- Defensive tackle Brodric Martin
- Cornerback Nick Whiteside
Lions waive standout UDFA WR Jackson Meeks
Jackson Meeks led the Lions with 11 catches and 176 yards receiving this preseason, but it wasn't enough for the undrafted rookie to make the Lions' initial 53-man roster.
The Lions informed Meeks of his release Monday, though the team has yet to make any of its transactions official with the NFL.
Meeks, who played three seasons at Georgia and one at Syracuse, told the Free Press this week he felt good about his chances of sticking on the roster.
"I don’t really know how it goes up there in the front office, I just know that I showed what I can be, who I can be, my potential," he said. "There’s more stuff that I can work on. Of course the small stuff – even some big stuff. But at the end of the day, I showed that I’m a trustworthy football player and I’m going to go out there and go 100% every play."
Meeks is expected to return on practice squad if he clears waivers.
The Lions could keep six receivers on their 53-man roster with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond and Isaac TeSlaa guaranteed roster spots, veteran Tim Patrick returning in a backup role and seventh-round pick Dominic Lovett playing well this preseason.
Tom Kennedy also is expected to return on practice squad after his release Monday.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions roster cuts tracker: Updates, transactions
Category: Football
