The Detroit Lions and their supporters are turning their attention to the offseason after a 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Detroit, once considered a Super Bowl contender, couldn’t secure a victory at home as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Now, the Lions will work on rebuilding and aiming to return to the playoffs in 2025.
On Monday, Detroit began assembling their 90-man roster for the offseason, including 11 practice squad players who were signed to reserve/future contracts. The Lions also re-signed safety Morice Norris.
The rookie cornerback, who was on the active roster, couldn’t sign a reserve/futures contract and would have been given an ERFA (exclusive rights free agent) designation. Norris, 24, played 22 defensive snaps against the Commanders, filling in for Ifeatu Melifonwu, who suffered a hamstring injury and did not return.
The Fresno State product recorded three tackles and allowed two completions in his brief time on the field. Prior to the playoff game, Norris had only appeared on special teams during the Lions’ final two regular season matchups against the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings.
Detroit signed Norris as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 NFL Draft. He attended training camp but didn’t make the roster, being waived with an injury and placed on injured reserve in August.
Soon after, the Lions granted Norris an injury settlement but re-signed him to the practice squad in late September. He was promoted to the active roster in late December. The rookie was waived on New Year’s Eve but returned to the practice squad on January 2 and was signed back to the active roster two days later. The Lions will evaluate Norris’ development from his limited play this season and see if he can provide valuable depth in the secondary for 2025.
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• Player the Lions Released Already Signed by Another Team
• Lions May Lose a Third Key Coach