The Detroit Lions signed veteran defensive lineman Bruce Irvin heading into Week 13, and Irvin ended immediately made an impact.
In Irvin’s Lions debut, he logged a sack and a big hit on New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr that knocked him out of the game.
Apparently, Irvin impressed head coach Dan Campbell, who is planning more playing time for the pass rusher the rest of the season.
“We would like to work him in more,” Campbell said, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “That was the plan last week, give him some opportunities and then see where he’s at there, see how he handled it, see where his body is, and then potentially get him some more, so we’re looking into that. But, yeah, I’d say he’s earned that.”
Prior to joining Detroit, Irvin last played for the Seattle Seahawks last season, appearing in 11 games and registering 28 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
The 36-year-old, who played his collegiate football at West Virginia, was originally selected by the Seahawks with the 15th overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft.
He spent the first four years of his career in Seattle, helping the Seahawks win a Super Bowl during the 2013-14 campaign. Irvin then made his way to the Oakland Raiders, where he spent two-and-a-half seasons before being traded to the Atlanta Falcons midway through 2018.
Since then, Irvin has bounced around between the Carolina Panthers, the Seahawks (where he has had three separate stints) and now the Lions.
Irvin’s best season came in 2016 with the Raiders, when he racked up 57 tackles, seven sacks and a league-leading six forced fumbles.
Detroit is 9-3 on the year and will take on the Chicago Bears this Sunday. The Lions currently hold a comfortable three-game lead over both the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers in the NFC North division.