After a handful of successful seasons, the Lions unfortunately have had to figure out which players would stay and which players would be sent to free agency. Overall, 10 of those free agents made their way to other teams for the 2024 season and it deserves a deeper look into what they have done since they wore the Honolulu Blue and Silver.
DeShon Elliott
Elliott made his way to the Lions in 2022 on a one year contract after spending a handful of seasons with the Ravens. He was named the starting free safety for Detroit and finished the season with 96 total tackles, one interception, and one forced fumble. After leaving the Lions at the end of the season, Elliott signed a one year contract with the Miami Dolphins and then later signed a two year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers where he remains currently. With Pittsburgh, he is putting up career numbers with 108 total tackles, two forced fumbles, and one interception to finish the 2024 NFL season.
Jamaal Williams
The former 4th round pick left the Green Bay Packers in 2021 to join Detroit and had a career season in 2022. It was in that season where he broke the Lion’s running back touchdown record set by Barry Sanders in 1991 with 17 TDs. The next year, he signed a three year contract with the New Orleans Saints where he has struggled with injuries and has not been able to recreate his breakout season, scoring only two touchdowns in two years.
Evan Brown
Brown, a career journeyman, was elevated from the Lions practice squad in 2020 and was named the backup center for Detroit in the 2021 season. After a season ending injury to starter Frank Ragnow, Brown got the opportunity to start 12 games, and due to his success, was re-signed in 2022 where he also started due to injuries. In 2023, he left the Lions to play in Seattle where he won the starting job and eventually went to the Arizona Cardinals where he remains currently.
Chris Board
Board, a former undrafted linebacker, came to Detroit in his fifth year. He tallied 21 total tackles and one forced fumble in his sole year with the Lions. The next season, he left for the Patriots and then eventually found his way back to where he started in Baltimore.
Austin Bryant
The former two-time College Football Playoff National Champion out of Clemson was drafted in the fourth round by Detroit. Bryant was full of potential but had four relatively disappointing seasons with the Lions. He then left for the San Francisco 49ers where he only played in two games and has not been on an official roster since.
Mike Hughes
Drafted in the first round of the 2018 draft, Hughes landed in Detroit in 2022 after his breakout season in Kansas City. In his lone season with the Lions, Hughes recorded 51 total tackles. He then went on to sign with the Atlanta Falcons where he won the starting cornerback job in 2024.
Amani Oruwariye
Ourwariye was drafted by Detroit in 2019 as a cornerback and stayed with the Lions until the 2023 season. His most successful year was in 2021 where he recorded 57 total tackles, 1 fumble recovery, and 6 interceptions. He remained on practice squads until the 2024 season, when he signed with the Dallas Cowboys.
Josh Woods
As a linebacker, Woods went undrafted but was eventually picked up by the Chicago Bears for two seasons before he found a home with Detroit in 2021. His two seasons with the Lions were mostly unmemorable, and he departed in 2022. He then left for the Arizona Cardinals in the 2023 season, where he had his best career year with 61 total tackles and one forced fumble. He is currently with the Atlanta Falcons.
DJ Chark
Chark was drafted in the second round of the 2018 draft to the Jaguars where he made the Pro Bowl in 2019. The wide receiver then signed a one year contract with Detroit in 2022 where he tallied 502 yards and three touchdowns on the season. He has since played for the Carolina Panthers and the Los Angeles Chargers most recently.
CJ Garner-Johnson
Perhaps the most polarizing free agent that the Lions have lost recently is C.J. Garner-Johnson. The safety spent his lone season with Detroit in 2023 after being the interception co-leader with the Philadelphia Eagles the year before. That being said, the 2023 season was disappointing for Garner-Johnson and the Lions as he only ended up playing in three games with Detroit after injury. That being said, after Garner-Johnson left the Lions, he found his way back to his old stomping grounds in Philadelphia and had another fantastic year, tallying 59 total tackles, one forced fumble, six interceptions, and a Super Bowl ring.