The Detroit Lions have made their first roster cut ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, parting ways with veteran linebacker Anthony Pittman, according to a report from Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
Pittman, a local product out of Wayne State, signed with the Lions as an undrafted free agent back in 2019. Over the past five seasons, he carved out a role as a steady special teams contributor, appearing in 56 career games with the Lions and Jaguars, recording 31 tackles, two forced fumbles, and two passes defended.
While Pittman proved his value on special teams, Detroit’s linebacker room is simply too crowded this year. With starters Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell, and Derrick Barnes all locked in, plus the offseason additions of Zach Cunningham and Grant Stuard, the numbers game worked against Pittman.
Still, his long tenure in Detroit speaks to the respect he earned within the organization. At 28 years old, Pittman may draw interest elsewhere given his reputation as a reliable special teams piece.
For the Lions, this is just the beginning of a long and difficult roster-trimming process, as they must finalize their 53-man roster by 4 p.m. Tuesday.
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