The Detroit Lions are making changes in their secondary as they get healthier following a spate of injuries. This led the team to release a veteran defensive back who had been signed late in the season for added depth.
On January 1, the Lions announced the release of defensive back Jamal Adams from the practice squad. Adams, who joined Detroit in December after being released by the Tennessee Titans, had been elevated for two games but was ultimately squeezed out as other players returned to health.
Jamal Adams Squeezed Out
As Jeff Risdon of USA Today’s Lions Wire reported, Adams became “expendable” with the return of a key player to the lineup.
“In two games as a practice squad elevation, Adams played sparingly and primarily as a nickel LB,” Risdon wrote. “He recorded three tackles between Week 14 and Week 15. The healthy return of Ifeatu Melifonwu, who plays primarily in the same role as a box safety/heavy slot, made Adams expendable.”
Melifonwu had missed the first three games of the season due to an ankle injury before being placed on injured reserve in Week 4. He returned in December, starting two games and recording eight total tackles, including one for a loss.
Adams, meanwhile, played in three games for the Titans earlier this season, starting once and recording four tackles. In his two games with the Lions, he appeared in 20 defensive snaps and made three tackles.
Adams is now a free agent and could join a playoff-bound team looking for depth.
Another Big Return for the Lions
While the Lions have faced significant injury challenges this season — including losing star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a fractured leg — they may receive a major boost this week. Head coach Dan Campbell hinted that linebacker and team captain Alex Anzalone might return for the season finale after more than a month on the sidelines.
Anzalone broke his forearm during the team’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on November 17 but appears close to a comeback.
“We’ll see. He’s doing well,” Campbell said, via The Detroit News. “He’s close, he’s really close.”
Season Finale Stakes
Sunday’s season finale has enormous implications. Both the Lions and Minnesota Vikings enter the game with 14-2 records. The winner will claim the NFC North title and the NFC’s top seed for the playoffs, while the loser will make history as the first 14-win team to settle for a wild-card berth, forcing them to start the playoffs on the road.
Campbell expressed his enthusiasm about the opportunity ahead.
“For where we’re at, it’s the next one, and it is exciting, but we all know it’s still going to come down to the prep and we got to put the work in,” Campbell said, via The Detroit Free Press. “It’s going to start today. We’ll be out there in a walk-through and then, man, you put your best foot forward and you give your guys all you can and you cut them loose and let them go make plays and see where you step up. So that’s the exciting part.”
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