The Detroit Lions addressed their special teams void by signing former Chicago Bears return specialist DeAndre Carter to the practice squad. The move comes after Tom Kennedy was placed on injured reserve with a season-ending MCL injury sustained during the victory over the Arizona Cardinals. The Lions announced that former Chicago Bears wide receiver and return specialist DeAndre Carter has officially been signed to the club’s practice squad.
Veteran Return Specialist Added
Carter brings veteran experience to a unit that lost its primary returner, having played for multiple organizations including the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans. He earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors in 2021 after a 101-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and scored his first receiving touchdown that same season. Carter has accumulated 4,907 return yards and seven total touchdowns over his career. His addition provides immediate depth as the team prepares to host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Key Players Return
Head coach Dan Campbell confirmed that safety Brian Branch and center Cade Mays will both make their 2026 debuts against the Packers, though their snap counts will be managed. Campbell indicated that playing Branch 70 snaps would be excessive given his 10-month recovery from an Achilles tear, but the team intends to push him in practice to gauge his readiness. Campbell said the team already has a range of what they are looking at for Branch’s snap count.
Center Competition Heats Up
Mays returns from a wrist fracture suffered in training camp, but his reintegration is complicated by the high performance of backup Juice Scruggs. Scruggs entered the bye week as the league’s highest-graded center with a 75.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. Campbell noted that the team is considering using both players at center while Mays gets back into football shape.
The potential to move Scruggs to guard once Mays is fully acclimated offers a solution to keep both linemen on the field. Campbell praised Holmes for acquiring Scruggs in the David Montgomery trade, noting his versatility allows the offensive line to improve without sacrificing depth. Scruggs has experience playing guard, and his versatility gives Campbell an option that didn’t appear nearly as important when the season began.
Winning Streak Required
Campbell expressed greater optimism about the team’s trajectory entering this bye week compared to the 2025 season, citing the group’s upward growth. He emphasized that winning consecutive games is a requirement for reaching the team’s goals, noting the last time they did so was in December against the Cowboys and Steelers. Campbell stated that if the Lions want to be the team they want to be, they have to win back-to-back games, and more than once a year.
The Lions face a critical test against a divisional rival that has played well recently, making the return of key defensive and offensive pieces vital. Campbell said it feels like a long time since the club faced a divisional opponent and he is excited to open against a good Packers squad.
With the trade deadline approaching, the front office is also evaluating the secondary. SI.com ranks Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Riq Woolen and Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Kristian Fulton as realistic targets to address the defensive backfield. The team has allowed 1,487 passing yards through five games, creating urgency for a move before November 10.
Long snapper Hogan Hatten delivered a strong performance in the recent victory, providing stability to the special teams unit. Hatten talked a big game and delivered for the Lions in the win over Arizona. His consistency allows the coaching staff to focus on integrating new return specialists like Carter without worrying about snapping reliability.
This article was created by aggregating Detroit Lions news using Artificial Intelligence.
