The Lions continue to tinker with their roster ahead of the team’s NFC Championship matchup against the 49ers.
Third-year tight end Brock Wright was placed on injured reserve Wednesday as he continues to deal with a hip injury, and practice squad defensive lineman Tyson Alualu has been signed to the active roster to take his place.
Wright has been dealing with his hip troubles since Week 16, when the injury forced him to miss the final three games of the regular season. With star rookie tight end Sam LaPorta dealing with his knee injury, though, Wright toughed it out through the first two weeks of the playoffs to help Detroit get to Sunday’s game.
As his season ends on IR, he will also be a pending free agent. He’s started 19 games for the Lions over the last three years and has proven to be an effective blocker.
The Lions’ depth at tight end continues to take hits as Wright now joins James Mitchell on IR. This leaves a banged up LaPorta and former practice squad tight end Anthony Firkser as the only two tight ends on the active roster.
Reinforcements of a big nature are likely on the horizon, though, after the team’s signing of veteran tight end
Zach Ertz to the practice squad this week.
Ertz only played in seven games this year before being placed on IR with a quadriceps injury in Arizona. Over a month later, the Cardinals waived Ertz after the 11-year veteran asked for his release. Ertz informed the media that he wanted to join a contender, and now he has as he joins one of the four remaining teams vying for a Lombardi Trophy.
He steps into a favorable position with the Lions, as well, as the team’s lack of tight end depth will allow him to step into a big role almost immediately. Obviously, chemistry and learning the offense will be hurdles, but Ertz could provide a big boost to a limping tight ends room.
Alualu is another veteran addition to the active roster. After 13 years in Jacksonville and Pittsburgh, the 36-year-old signed with Detroit’s practice squad.
Alualu had been called up twice as a standard gameday practice squad elevation in the regular season, even starting a game for the Lions, and has done the same so far in the playoffs, appearing in two games off the practice squad and starting one in the postseason.