Overview
- Tom Kennedy suffered a season-ending MCL knee injury in Detroit’s win over Arizona on Sunday, Oct. 11, leaving the Lions without their primary punt returner.
- Detroit worked out DeAndre Carter and Steven Sims and is signing Carter to the practice squad after a Thursday workout on Oct. 15, according to multiple NFL outlets.
- Carter is being brought in primarily as a punt and kickoff return specialist rather than as an offensive addition, and he has roughly 1,508 punt-return yards and 3,399 kickoff-return yards in his career.
- Coach Dan Campbell had said he preferred not to use primary offensive players as full-time returners, so Carter’s arrival gives Detroit a veteran option to reduce reliance on players like Amon-Ra St. Brown.
- The Lions will use their bye to integrate Carter into the special-teams plan and may elevate him to the active roster before the Oct. 25 game in Green Bay depending on readiness and roster needs.