The Detroit Lions kept busy on Monday, making a handful of roster tweaks as they move into regular-season prep.
The biggest move came after the team’s first practice of the week, when Detroit signed linebacker Joe Bachie off the practice squad and onto the active roster. At the same time, the Lions placed offensive lineman Mason Miller on the practice squad injury list and added center Seth McLaughlin and running back Jabari Small back to the practice squad.
McLaughlin and Small both survived the initial cut to the 53-man roster, only to be waived later in the week. Both had been dealing with injuries late in training camp, which may have played a part in the Lions’ decision to bring them back in this way.
With Bachie added, Detroit sits at 52 players on the active roster and still has one opening to fill. He now gives the Lions seven linebackers on the active roster and could factor most heavily on special teams.
Bachie’s path to this point has been a long one. The former Michigan State linebacker went undrafted in 2020 and has appeared in 66 games across six NFL seasons, with stops in Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Tennessee.
His pro production has come mostly in the kicking game. Bachie has 77 combined tackles and two passes defensed in his career, along with 1,128 special teams snaps.
At Michigan State, he put together a decorated college run. Bachie topped 100 combined tackles in two of his four seasons, and was on pace to do it again in his final year before an eight-game limit cut that season short. He left East Lansing with 284 combined tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss and five interceptions.
Miller’s move to the practice squad injury list comes with an undisclosed ailment. He had turned heads with his work at center in the Lions’ preseason finale against the Indianapolis Colts.
Detroit opens the regular season against the New Orleans Saints at 1 p.m. Sunday at Ford Field.
In Other News...
Lions Receiver Decision Suddenly Carries Bigger Weight For The Opener
The Lions receiver room looked a little thinner than expected when Detroit trimmed down to four wideouts on its initial 53-man roster for the 2026 season, but the first-week picture is already taking shape. Dan Campbell said veteran Tom Kennedy is expected to play in Week 1, and the staff is looking at him not just as a depth option on offense but as a possible kick returner too.
Dave Fipp has also weighed in on the return-game plan, underscoring that kickoff and punt duties are part of the bigger roster puzzle rather than separate afterthoughts. With only a handful of receivers on the active roster, Kennedys role carries more significance than it might have in camp, and the opener will offer the first real look at how Detroit intends to balance his value on offense with what he can do on special teams. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Receiver Depth Suddenly Looks Like A Real Roster Concern
The Lions entered the week with a thinner wide receiver room than they probably expected after roster cuts, and the picture looks more important when you zoom out beyond Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. Detroit is carrying just four receivers right now, which leaves little margin if injuries or another shakeup hit, and it has pushed the depth conversation into the foreground as the team tries to protect an offense that relies heavily on timing and spacing.
One name that naturally comes up in that context is Darius Slayton, who was just released by the Giants and has a history with Lions passing game coordinator Mike Kafka. He would bring experience and another layer to the position, but Detroit is also working within financial limits that could make a move tricky. For a team that wants to stay aggressive without overextending, the fit is obvious enough to keep watching, even if the path to actually making it happen is not especially clean. [Read more 🡒]
Jared Goff And Detroits New OC Face Immediate Pressure In Week 1
The Lions have spent the offseason trying to keep the offensive machine humming, and the early signs from Jared Goffs partnership with new coordinator Drew Petzing have been encouraging. Dan Campbell has praised the way the two have worked together, with Goff also speaking positively about Petzings play-calling and the confidence he has brought to the job, a useful sign for a team that wants continuity even with a new voice shaping the offense.
Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints will be the first real test of how quickly that relationship translates from the meeting room to the field. Petzing does not need to reinvent anything for Detroit, but he does need to show he can fit into what Goff does best while still leaving his own imprint, and that balance is already going to matter when the lights come on. [Read more 🡒]