The Lions had another practice in pads on Tuesday, but the day didn’t end cleanly for one of the defense’s key competition pieces. Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez left practice early and was being evaluated for an ankle injury, according to reports.
That matters because Rodriguez is right in the middle of a fight for the third linebacker job in Kelvin Sheppard’s base 4-3 scheme. Detroit is counting on that spot to sort itself out in camp, and Rodriguez was expected to be in the mix.
Rodriguez has already lived plenty of football in Detroit. A sixth-round pick in 2022, he carved out a starting role as a rookie when Sheppard was the position coach and turned in a strong first season.
But the roster around him shifted quickly after that. The Lions used a first-round pick on Jack Campbell the next offseason, Derrick Barnes developed into another reliable option, and Rodriguez’s role shrank behind Campbell, Barnes and veteran Alex Anzalone.
Then came a rough 2024. Rodriguez opened the year as a backup, got pushed into action when Barnes and Anzalone landed on injured reserve, and then his own season ended on Thanksgiving with a torn ACL. That injury carried into the start of 2025, and he didn’t make his first appearance until Week 12 against the New York Giants.
Across his career, Rodriguez has 163 combined tackles, three sacks and 11 tackles for loss. He also picked off a pass in the Lions’ NFC Championship loss to the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.
Detroit brought him back this offseason on a one-year contract after his rookie deal expired, and he’s now battling for that third linebacker spot next to Campbell, who was an All-Pro in 2025, and Barnes. Devin White is also in the mix, and he brings a decorated résumé after setting a new career high in tackles last season with the Las Vegas Raiders and earning Second Team All-Pro honors earlier in his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Lions have already been dealing with linebacker injuries in camp. Rookie Jimmy Rolder is expected to miss time with a hamstring injury, and Detroit responded by signing White to help fill out the group. The team is also working through injuries involving Derrick Moore, Anthony Firkser and Sione Vaki.
In Other News...
Tarik Skubal Talks Reveal The Tigers Price Milwaukee Wouldn't Meet
The Tarik Skubal talks at the trade deadline turned into a familiar kind of front-office stalemate, with Milwaukee circling one of the best arms available while Detroit listened. ESPNs Jeff Passan reported the Brewers had interest in landing the Tigers ace, but the sides never found a package that bridged the gap, a reminder that even a premium pitcher can be hard to pry loose when the asking price starts with the kind of young talent Milwaukee values so highly.
At the center of the impasse was the Brewers decision to keep their most prized prospects out of the discussion, a stance that speaks to how they view their long-term pipeline. For Detroit, that kind of resistance meant the market never quite got where it needed to go, and for a team weighing immediate help against future control, the Skubal pursuit ended with the Brewers holding onto the pieces they were least willing to move. [Read more 🡒]
Tarik Skubal Just Reopened A Huge Tigers Question
Tarik Skubals move to the Dodgers closed one chapter for Detroit, but it also kept an old question hanging in the air about just how long the Tigers would be part of his future. In a recent podcast interview, the left-hander spoke about how hard it was to leave the Tigers after the Aug. 1 trade and reflected on what the organization meant to him, even as he turned his attention to chasing a World Series in Los Angeles.
What makes the conversation linger for Tigers fans is the hint that this may not be the final word on his Detroit story. Skubal said there could be room for talks to pick back up after the postseason, which leaves open a path, however narrow, for the kind of reunion teams and players almost never talk about once a trade like this has gone through. For now, the Tigers are left with the emotional reminder of what they gave up, and the possibility that the biggest question around Skubal is still sitting there for later. [Read more 🡒]
Brady Smith Is Giving Tigers Fans A Reason To Revisit That Trade
Brady Smith is starting to look like the kind of arm that can make a trade haul feel a little more intriguing with time. The 21-year-old right-hander came to Detroit in the Tarik Skubal deal, and after missing time with Tommy John surgery, he is putting together his first healthy pro season with real signs of progress. His command has sharpened, his secondary pitches are playing better, and Baseball America already has him sitting as the Tigers No. 15 prospect.
Smiths next step is a move to high Single-A West Michigan, where the challenge gets a little more serious and the eyes on him will only get more interested. For Detroit, the appeal is obvious: a young pitcher with a live arm, improving control and a track record that suggests there may still be another level to reach. It is the sort of development path that can quietly alter how a trade is remembered, especially when the player in question is still just getting started. [Read more 🡒]