Ben Bartch’s push for the Lions’ roster has hit a rough patch at the worst possible time.
Detroit is still sorting out its offensive line, and left guard remains one of the biggest questions in the room. Christian Mahogany looks like the favorite to win the job, but Ben Bartch had worked himself into that competition after signing with the Lions this offseason. Then came the setback: Bartch sat out Detroit’s most recent practice, and no specific reason was given.
That matters now more than ever. The Lions are trying to settle on the best five up front, and every rep counts. Bartch does bring something to the table - he has NFL experience, with 24 starts and 55 games played over a six-year career - but missed time makes it harder for him to stay in the mix.
If Bartch is sidelined for longer, the Lions are likely to lean even more on Mahogany. That may be the expectation anyway, but Bartch’s presence had at least added some real competition to the spot. For Detroit, that kind of pressure is useful no matter how the battle ends.
Dan Campbell said the fight for the line is still very much open. Before Bartch’s latest absence, Campbell pointed to the ongoing shuffle up front after the Cade Mays injury and said the staff is focused on getting the five best players on the field.
"This is still an ongoing battle. (Ben) Bartch is back.
He'll be getting more and more reps. Letting (Christian) Mahogany and Bartch go at it over there at left guard.
Obviously, we're evaluating Juice (Scruggs) at center, with Seth (McLaughlin) or is it (Tate) Ratledge? We're going to find the five best.
This is an ongoing battle."
Campbell also gave a clear read on Mahogany’s work at left guard last week, and the review was strong.
"Mahogany, I thought he was a physical force. When he does it right, it's pretty and it's powerful.
It's explosive. In the pass game, he's got to anchor, and then sometimes it just gets a little out of sorts.
So it's just the consistency of it."
That last part is where Bartch’s situation gets tricky. Consistency is what this battle is about, and availability is part of that equation too. If Bartch can’t get back on the field soon and log more practice time, it becomes tougher to argue he belongs in the starting conversation - or even on the 53-man roster.
There’s still time for the picture to change. But right now, Bartch’s path is getting narrower by the day.
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