The Detroit Lions made a familiar move on Monday, bringing back tight end Miles Kitselman to the practice squad while releasing cornerback Natrone Brooks from that spot ahead of their Week 4 game against the Carolina Panthers.
Kitselman is back in Detroit after his stint with the team was interrupted by a training camp injury. The Lions originally placed him on injured reserve after the injury, then later waived him with an injury designation. That kind of move typically points to an injury settlement, and Kitselman’s return suggests that settlement has now run its course.
Brooks, meanwhile, is out after signing with Detroit’s practice squad earlier this month. He has played in 26 games over his first two seasons, all with the Atlanta Falcons.
Kitselman entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee and had started to make noise early in camp. Detroit viewed him as a block-first tight end, and he even got work with the first-team offense during offseason workouts while Sam LaPorta was limited as he worked back from a back injury last year.
His camp ended when he suffered what was reported as a leg injury.
Detroit has already handled a similar situation with defensive end Ahmed Hassanein. Drafted in the sixth round of last year’s draft, Hassanein looked set to make the roster before an injury in the preseason finale as a rookie. The Lions waived him with an injury designation rather than use one of their injured reserve spots, and once that settlement expired, he returned to Detroit on the practice squad.
The Lions also made a tight end adjustment before their Week 3 win over the New York Jets. Tyler Conklin was made a healthy scratch, which opened the door for Jackson Meeks to move up to the third spot on the depth chart behind LaPorta and backup Brock Wright.
As a practice squad player, Kitselman can be elevated for three games before Detroit has to decide whether to sign him to the active roster. He can also be signed away by another team, as long as that team adds him to its active roster.
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