BROCK WRIGHT

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions have tendered five of their exclusive-rights free agents before the start of free agency, including tight end Brock Wright, long snapper Scott Daly, defensive lineman Benito Jones, linebacker Anthony Pittman and tight end Shane Zylstra. Exclusive rights free agents are players on expiring contracts with fewer than three seasons of service time. By tendering their ERFAs, the Lions can keep them in-house on non-guaranteed deals. That’s why ERFAs are usually tendered, because there’s no real risk for the team to do so. The former undrafted free agent stepped capably into a backup role at tight end, then stepped into a starting role once T.J. Hockenson was traded to Minnesota last season.

Howard (Texans), Juwan Johnson (Saints)Breakdown: It’s a pretty intriguing market at tight end, at least when looking at it from the Lions’ perspective. Detroit shipped one-time Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson across the division to the Minnesota Vikings at last year’s trade deadline. Heck, look at our weekly mock draft roundups, and you’ll see those Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer first-round projections lingering. Still, a Gesicki or Schultz would pair nicely with a combination of Wright, Mitchell and Cabinda. Irv Smith Jr. would be a fascinating addition as the tight end supplanted at the top of Minnesota’s depth chart via the Hockenson trade.

The Detroit Lions traded T.J. Hockenson at the deadline, then still put the bows on a franchise record for tight end touchdowns in a single season. It was Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave to come out of the week with some of the most enviable buzz surrounding his name from the showcase. “I kinda went into it with the mindset that I have this goal to be the best tight end I can be. The tight end popped in one-on-one drills, with his route-running and strong hands at the point of the catch winning more times than not. I’ve also back-trained with Dalton (Kincaid), who is a great tight end.

Josh Paschal chipped in two sacks, becoming the Lions’ third rookie with a multi-sack game this season. Amon-Ra St. Brown became the youngest Lions receiver ever with a 100-catch season, just one week after he became the youngest Lions receiver ever with a 1,000-yard season. With that, these remarkable Detroit Lions pounded the Chicago Bears 41-10 for their seventh win in nine games, and will take their improbable playoff chase into a monumental finale against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. That team is screaming toward the finale too, and is guaranteed a playoff spot with a win against Detroit. The Lions have the youngest defense in the whole league, yet just held Justin Fields to 30 passing yards.

The Detroit Lions are on the brink of a playoff berth after Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears. All they gotta do now is beat the Green Bay Packers next week.

Jared Goff threw two of his three touchdown passes to Brock Wright in the first half, and the Detroit Lions beat the Chicago Bears 41-10 to remain in the playoff chase.

After pounding the Chicago Bears 41-10 on Sunday, these Detroit Lions have a chance to become the next to come back from the dead. Even if the Seahawks win that game, the Lions will still take their unlikely playoff bid to the final week of the season. No matter what happens around the league, the Lions are now headed for a do-or-die finale against the Packers in the frozen tundra at Lambeau Field. The Lions will roll into that game with one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league. D’Andre Swift chipped in two touchdowns and Jamaal Williams added another, running the Lions’ season total to 433 points.

DETROIT -- The Lions got better in the long run by trading T.J. Hockenson for draft picks at the deadline. Brock Wright caught two more touchdown passes on Sunday to help Detroit build a 24-7 halftime lead in a must-win game against the Chicago Bears. Tight ends have now accounted for 12 touchdown catches this season, breaking a franchise record that had stood since 2011. Shane Zylstra added three more scores the following week in Carolina, giving him four on the season as well. One of those sacks jarred the ball loose, which Aidan Hutchinson recovered -- and then Hutchinson added his third pick of the season to conclude the half.

ALLEN PARK -- Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson loves pre-snap motion. I knew it was going to be an explosive though.”Johnson was more right than even he could have imagined. But we found a bit of our identity, and it’s worked for us.”Made the Wright play on 4th down!#DETvsNYJ | 📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/RkLdogmS3S — Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 18, 2022No. @peneisewell58 #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/DiihvbkkeS — Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 11, 2022No kidding. “We’ve done that a few times now where we do that fast motion,” Johnson said.

The Jets brought a top-five defense into this one, and while they were missing star Quinnen Williams, this is a legit group. Grade: BDefensive line: The defensive line helped stifle the Jets and their rushing attack while creating pressure and getting home for a handful of sacks. The Jets were held to only 50 yards on 22 attempts, with a long rush of 6 yards on the day. Raymond opened the game with a 46-yard punt-return touchdown, which would carry the Lions through most of this one. But they’ve ridden the Jamaal Williams touchdown train all season to much success, so it’s hard to fault them there.

The Detroit Lions (7-7) are doing everything people aren’t used to seeing the Detroit Lions accomplish. Detroit’s 20-17 win over the New York Jets in Week 15 pushed them back to .500 and its first three-game road winning streak since 2017. The Lions have won six of the last seven games, with this latest win spiking their playoff odds from 20% to 42%, per FiveThirtyEight. See below for MLive Detroit Lions beat writer Ben Raven’s video breakdown and more headlines after the team’s loss. Topics covered include the great job stopping the run, Zach Wilson’s roller-coaster day and the Lions winning three straight on the road, including six of their last seven overall to increase those playoff odds.

Jared Goff threw a go-ahead 51-yard touchdown pass to Brock Wright on fourth-and-1 with 1:49 remaining and the Detroit Lions held on for a 20-17 victory over Zach Wilson and the New York Jets.

New York called timeout with 1 second left, and had one final look at a 58-yard field goal. Wright did a great job selling the block, before leaking out for a short pass from Goff. Detroit settled for a field goal, a huge difference in a game so close. That set up a field goal that broke a 10-all halftime tie. There’s nothing about that sequence that was good, and the Lions had to settle for a go-ahead field goal that made it 10-7.

Jamaal Williams scored on a 1-yard run in the closing minutes, Jared Goff threw for 236 yards and a touchdown, and the Detroit Lions overcame another spectacular effort by Chicago’s Justin Fields to beat the Bears 31-30.

DETROIT -- The Detroit Lions (2-6) beat the Green Bay Packers (3-6) 15-9, snapping their five-game winning streak with the Week 9 win from Ford Field. And while it wasn’t his best day, the running back ran 24 times for 81 yards against his former team. D’Andre Swift remained limited, running only twice for 10 yards and catching three of four targets for 40 yards. Grade: B-Wide receivers: Goff and his receivers never found their rhythm, failing to make much of an impact in this win. So, in the first game without T.J. Hockenson, Lions tight ends caught three of four targets for 9 yards and two touchdowns.

DETROIT -- While the T.J. Hockenson trade was obviously made for the long-term future of the franchise, Dan Campbell believes the Detroit Lions might be better off in the short term too. “As good as T.J. was, there are things we’ll be able to do better, potentially, having other guys on the field,” the head coach said. “He’s just consistent, and he’s where he’s supposed to be, and he does it over and over again,” Goff said. But he’s a good route-runner, and he’s got good hands, and he’s got good feel. And he’s still learning, he’s a rookie, but a guy that we trust and trust his hands certainly, but trust him to be in the right spot.”

DETROIT -- The Detroit Lions (1-6) have gotten off to a brutal start, and it’s been a tough week around these parts. Related: Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers: Fantasy guide and key matchups for Week 9Related: Ask Kyle: Did the Detroit Lions do the right thing by trading T.J. Hockenson? We’ll try and answer three burning questions ahead of kickoff below:OK, so who steps up at tight end for the Lions? And then there is fifth-round rookie James Mitchell, who had the first catch of his pro career last week. Campbell opened the week by regretting some of the five carries he gave Swift in Week 8.

“At this point, this is the best he’s felt in a while,” the Detroit Lions head coach said on Friday. “That helps.”Less than a week later, Reynolds is out with yet another injury. Reynolds was limited by a back injury on Wednesday, then didn’t participate in practice at all on Thursday. The good news is running back D’Andre Swift returned to practice after getting another off day while tending to ankle and shoulder injuries. Tight end Brock Wright also returned to practice on Thursday, which provides more depth at that position following the Hockenson trade.

But general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell say they believe they’re better off without T.J. Hockenson, talented as he might be. I do think this move was reflective of that.”It makes sense why the Hockenson trade might be in the long-term interest of the Lions. But like Holmes, Campbell told players the trade could make Detroit better in the short term as well as long. “As good as T.J. was, there are things we’ll be able to do better, potentially, having other guys on the field,” Campbell said. “Every week (he’s) gotten a little bit better,” Campbell said.

ALLEN PARK -- Dan Campbell added more detail to his frustrations about not being able to challenge a close spot near the goal line against the Dallas Cowboys. Campbell wanted to challenge the spot after a 17-yard catch by tight end Brock Wright early in the fourth quarter. And for what it’s worth, Wright would have been short of the goal line, but it was close enough to merit a second look. But couldn’t talk.”Related: Dan Campbell frustrated about not getting OK to throw challenge flag at goal lineRelated: Put away your tinfoil hats. Dallas didn’t score on the corresponding drive after the lost fumble at the goal line, but that represented the closest Detroit would get to them on the scoreboard.

He threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles in the loss to the Cowboys, all in the second half. He nearly lost another earlier in the second half. Raymond was also a lead blocker on Brock Wright’s near touchdown catch-and-run in the second half, highlighting his fearlessness. The toned-down offensive attack and the improved defensive front had the Lions leading this game at halftime. And then the second half happened, with the offense forgetting how to protect the football.

Then with the Detroit Lions just inches from a fourth-quarter lead in Dallas, he lost a fumble right at the goal line. That was more for the fact that I didn’t get that challenge, because that’s what I was waiting on,” Campbell said. “I was trying to get a call on the review ... from my person upstairs, that’s who I’m listening to. But approval never came on the Wright catch, and Campbell didn’t want to go rogue. Then Williams lost a fumble for the first time in his six-year career, and it all fell apart after that.

-- Devin Funchess was coming on strong in Detroit Lions camp. The tight end suffered an apparent right shoulder injury on Wednesday after making a goal-line catch during joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts. He really struggled in the first couple weeks of Lions camp, but was heating up over the last week. That leaves probably one job left at tight end, and it will likely go to a player who contributes on special teams. He was removed from practice as a precaution, but was given the green light to participate in a physical practice with Indianapolis on Wednesday.

Devin Funchess, hoping to play in the NFL for the first time since 2019, made the most of his opportunities in the Detroit Lions’ preseason opener.

ALLEN PARK -- Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright opened the preseason with a solid showing as the second-year pro looks to lock his spot ahead of Year 2. The 23-year-old tight end caught his lone target for 18 yards in Detroit’s preseason-opening loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Lions tight ends coach Tanner Engstrand said Wright focused on his pass protection in the offseason, which has shown up through the first couple of weeks of training camp. The second-year Lions head coach said Wright has continued to show growth since the pads went on, which is always encouraging. Injured fullback Jason Cabinda also works with the tight end when available.

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions have waived three players heading into the first cut-down day of camp, parting ways with center Ryan McCollum and tight ends Nolan Givan and Garrett Griffin before practice on Monday morning. The roster now stands at 87 players, which leaves two cuts to go heading into the 85-man limit that will be imposed at 4 p.m. Tuesday. At tight end, the Lions are trimming their tight end rotation from eight to six players. T.J. Hockenson is a lock to start, while Brock Wright is in excellent shape to win the No. Wright played well for Detroit as an undrafted rookie last season, even caught two touchdown passes, and has repped with the ones a lot throughout camp this year.

Detroit identified undrafted players like cornerbacks Jerry Jacobs and A.J. Detroit also signed undrafted players like tight end Brock Wright, offensive lineman Tommy Kraemer and long snapper Scott Daly who contributed to the team. He finished with 1,091 yards, averaged 4.5 yards per carry and scored nine touchdowns. With all five running backs under contract from last season, he’s going to have a tough path to the roster in Detroit. Kalil Pimpleton, WR, Central Michigan (per NFL Network): A 5-foot-7 receiver who began his career at Virginia Tech before transferring to Mount Pleasant and scoring four different ways.

This is the fifth of an eight-part series previewing the Detroit Lions’ positional needs and priorities heading into the NFL draft, which is scheduled for Thursday through next Saturday in Las Vegas. But the depth behind Hockenson is, well, just scroll up and take a look at that list of names. Wright did enough in the passing game to warrant a look in camp, but he’s not exactly a bankable commodity in the blocking game. At 6-foot-5 and 252 pounds, he’s a flamethrower in the blocking game. Another tight end to watch is Cade Otton, a four-year starter who spent most of his time in-line at Washington.

The Detroit Lions are reportedly signing former New Orleans Saints tight end Garrett Griffin. Griffin played in Dan Campbell’s tight end room in New Orleans for three seasons. It’s the second straight offseason the Lions have targeted a Saints tight end. Detroit’s tight end room is highlighted by T.J. Hockenson, and then it’s quite the drop. Related headlines:Free-agent WR DJ Chark lured to Detroit by coaching staff, opportunity to shine in offenseLive updates recap: Detroit Lions introduce new wide receiver DJ CharkDetroit Lions re-signing QB David Blough too, while Jalen Reeves-Maybin leaves for Texans paydayDetroit Lions lower D.J.

The record-setting punter was among 13 exclusive-rights free agents who were tendered by the Lions on Wednesday afternoon. If any of the players practice well enough to make the team, cool, Detroit is better off for it. And if any of them isn’t good enough to make the team, the Lions can move on without financial penalty. Offensive lineman Ryan McCollum and defensive back Jalen Elliott were the only exclusive-rights free agents Detroit did not tender. Wright was pressed into starting duty as an undrafted rookie because of all the injuries at tight end, and caught two touchdown passes.

They recently resigned Jason Cabinda after the fullback saw some work at tight end. It’s not the deepest draft class at tight end. The 6-foot-4 tight end was Colorado State’s go-to target and still put up big-time numbers to end his college career. The once highly-touted Oklahoma tight end caught 38 balls for 465 yards and four scores for the Mustangs. It took off.”Quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight end on-field coverage start at 4 p.m. Thursday on the NFL Network.

There wasn’t much production in the tight end room behind the blossoming star, though. Ben’s grade: C+Breakdown: It’s the second time that Hockenson suffered a season-ending injury in three years. The third-year tight end was learning a new offense and starting quarterback, so there was reason for some of those growing pains. With all of that said, Hockenson has continued to show flashes of being an elite tight end. Related: Tight ends to watch for the Detroit Lions in the 2022 NFL draftThe Lions signed veteran tight end Josh Hill in free agency.

Aaron Rodgers threw two touchdown passes in the first half and sat out the second half with nothing at stake as the Detroit Lions beat the Green Bay Packers 37-30.

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions announced they’re getting back offensive tackle Matt Nelson and wide receiver Trinity Benson from COVID infections. That’s four more starters lost to infections heading into Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, wreaking havoc on a roster that was already thinned by injury. That’s especially true at tight end, where guys like Josh Hill (retirement), Charlie Taumoepeau (car accident) and Hunter Bryant (non-football injury) never even made it into the season. Then top blocking tight end Darren Fells asked for his release during the winless start, before Pro Bowler T.J. Hockenson was lost to injury. Now the Lions have more issues to deal with in their trenches, as Brockers and Vaitai both land on the COVID list.

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions placed tight end Brock Wright on the COVID reserve list and moved linebacker Josh Woods to injured reserve amid a flurry of roster moves. Wright was the lone tight end on the roster, leaving quite the hole at that spot. They also signed receiver Juwan Green and tight end Ross Travis to the practice squad, releasing cornerback Chris Williamson to make room. Detroit still has tight end Nick Eubanks on the practice squad, for those wanting the complete look at available tight ends. He was on Detroit’s practice squad for a brief stint earlier this season.

The Detroit Lions upset the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Ford Field -- and they did it in convincing fashion.

Hockenson sought a second medical opinion, and wound up electing to undergo surgery. “We encourage these guys to get it assessed, you get a second opinion, and then the player weighs the options. He caught four passes for 49 yards and one touchdown in the game, his second straight week with a score. But he was ailing from the thumb injury, did not practice last week and was listed as doubtful for the game in Denver. Hockenson was coming off a Pro Bowl season where he caught 67 passes for 723 yards and six touchdowns.

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions (1-11-1) should have some fantasy football eyes on them this weekend, with the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals (10-3) coming to town. Lions players to sit:Everybody else: Craig Reynolds, Godwin Igwebuike and Jermar Jefferson could have nice days, but it’s tough as heck to predict. Reynolds, fresh off the practice squad, ran 11 times for 83 yards last week. What to do with Lions players in the fantasy football playoffs:-- Hang onto D’Andre Swift. -- Keep Josh Reynolds and Brock Wright on fantasy football radars, but they aren’t worth an add just yet.

ALLEN PARK -- T.J. Hockenson’s season is reportedly over, with the third-year tight end undergoing thumb surgery Thursday morning per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He’s been the top target for the Detroit Lions this year, catching 61 passes for 583 yards and four touchdowns. Hockenson’s season started with a bang, posting 16 catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns through the first two games. Much like the rest of the passing attack, though, there were quiet stretches where the talented tight end didn’t see the ball much. He had 13 receptions for 135 yards and two touchdowns through his last four games of the season.

The Detroit Lions (1-10-1) are on the road after their first win of the season, drawing the Denver Broncos (6-6) in Week 14 action. On the bright side, Jared Goff got it clicking with receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Josh Reynolds and tight end Brock Wright in last week’s win. Detroit’s secondary has shown flashes, with Amani Oruwariye’s five interceptions and the gradual growth from undrafted rookie Jerry Jacobs. The Lions have worked Cabinda with the tight end room some, with Nick Eubanks and Shane Zylstra on the practice squad. Zylstra converted from wide receiver to tight end while with the Vikings in camp.

Jared Goff ran out of the tunnel to a smattering of boos during pregame introductions. About 90 minutes later, he ran back up that tunnel having delivered perhaps his best half of football in Detroit. Harris now has six sacks in 12 games with Detroit, after registering just 6.5 sacks in his first four seasons combined. Wright is the first undrafted tight end to catch a touchdown pass for Detroit since Joseph Fauria in 2013. And just like that, 365 days since their last win, the Lions are two quarters from finally ending the NFL’s longest drought.

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions waived wide receiver Tom Kennedy and tight end Darren Fells, signing tight end Brock Wright from their practice squad, leaving one open roster spot. Fells’ departure was previously reported, with Lions coach Dan Campbell confirming the move to release the veteran was a mutual one. T.J. Hockenson and Wright are the team’s only two tight ends, with Shane Zylstra on the practice squad. Wright has seen action in two consecutive games, getting activated from the practice squad for the trip to Los Angeles and blowout loss to the Eagles heading into the bye week. The former Lacrosse pro has spent most of the last three years on Detroit’s practice squad, with one game appearance logged back in 2019 to his name before this season.

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions have reportedly released tight end Darren Fells after the veteran requested to part ways per the NFL Network. He was a healthy scratch while Brock Wright took over as the team’s second tight end in the 44-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The third-year tight end has handled a heavier workload this year through the team’s inexperienced and makeshift receiver room. Hockenson is now the lone tight end on the main roster, with Wright and Shane Zylstra on the practice squad. It’s been an interesting year behind Hockenson in the tight end room, though, no doubt about that.

DETROIT -- The Lions have scratched starting running back Jamaal Williams and slot cornerback A.J. Backup tight end Darren Fells also won’t play, despite not showing up on the injury report all week. Brock Wright, elevated from the practice squad, is the only other tight end who will be in uniform against Philadelphia. But he suffered a thigh injury against the Rams last week and was limited all week at practice. Hand spent the first seven weeks of the season on injured reserve with a groin issue he suffered in training camp.

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions have a solid situation at the top of their tight end room, highlighted by Pro Bowler T.J. Hockenson and seven-year veteran Darren Fells. The Lions waived Jake Hausmann earlier this week, with the tight end eventually claimed by the New York Giants. Lions coach Dan Campbell was asked what he was looking for in the third tight end spot. He’s young, but man, he’s a pretty good athlete. He caught five career passes for 48 yards after converting from defensive end to tight end.