The Detroit Lions have now placed defensive end Ezekiel Ansah on Injured Reserved after a very disappointing season under the franchise tag.
How much will $17.143 million get you these days? If you are the Detroit Lions, it gets you 12 tackles and 4.0 sacks in seven games. That’s the final stat line that defensive end Ezekiel Ansah will post for 2018 after getting placed on the season-ending Injured Reserve list on Tuesday.
A free agent earlier this offseason, Ansah was signed to the Lions’ franchise tag for this year, with a hefty price tag just north of $17 million. The 29-year old would go on to play a total of 21 snaps in Detroit’s Week One matchup against the New York Jets before being sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Ansah would not return to the field for the Lions until their Week Eight contest against the Minnesota Vikings. Upon his return, the sixth-year pass rusher would record 3.0 sacks in his first four games back. But Ansah re-injured his shoulder against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday after playing just six snaps. Now he’s been placed on Injured Reserve due to that reoccurring injury.
Playing in only seven games this season, Ansah will have missed a combined 14 games in the past three years due to various injures. Scheduled to become a free agent once again next offseason, it’s unclear whether the Lions will be willing to pony up the money required to sign the aging Ansah to the franchise tag yet again or offer him the long-term deal he’s undoubtedly seeking.
Joining Ansah on Injured Reserve Tuesday was second-year tight end Michael Roberts. Also sidelined due to a shoulder injury, Roberts never emerged as the red zone target many hoped he’d become following the release of long-time first-round disappointment Eric Ebron, who is now experiencing a career resurgence with the Indianapolis Colts.
Michael Roberts will end his second season in Detroit recording only nine receptions for 100 yards and three touchdowns in eight game appearances. Two of those scores came in a big win over the Miami Dolphins back in Week Seven.