Golden Tate is not currently playing in the league, and on Tuesday morning he posted a workout video wearing a Lions’ helmet.
It’s clear the Detroit Lions need a talent influx at wide receiver, though it will have to wait until the offseason now. Long gone are the days when Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate ruled the receiver roost in Detroit, and formed one of the most productive duos in the league for a couple years.
Tate was traded by the Lions to the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2018 season, then he spent the 2019 and 2020 campaigns with the New York Giants. He was not signed by anyone last offseason, and during a stint as a fill-in co-host on “Good Morning Football” a while ago he seemed to convey he was ready to go if a team wanted him.
After the Lions’ Week 10 tie against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tate tweeted to express sympathy toward his former team.
I’m so sorry for you @Lions . You don’t deserve this feeling week in and week out. 😔😔
— Golden Tate (@ShowtimeTate) November 14, 2021
A 33-year old Tate is not a great fit for the current Lions, at the start of a rebuild. But he is clearly staying in playing shape, and his choice of attire in a recent video was interesting.
Golden Tate posts workout clip wearing a Lions helmet
On Tuesday morning, Tate posted a workout clip in which he’s wearing a Lions helmet to his Instagram page.
Golden Tate working out in a #Lions helmet today? 👀👀🙏 #OnePride pic.twitter.com/EF5eUyNSoD
— BLESSED LIONS🙏🦁 (@GoddamnLions) November 23, 2021
It may be coincidental that Tate was wearing a Lions helmet, and wearing gray to complete a bit of a Lions’-themed ensemble. Or it could be a call to general manager Brad Holmes to say “hey, I’m here and ready to go.” The Lions’ young group of wide receivers could certainly benefit from a veteran presence like him, but the ship has probably sailed for Tate signing anywhere this season.
But even with only six games to go by the time he’d be in the building, there’s a non-zero chance the Lions sign Tate for the rest of the season. It’s probably a .000001 percent chance, but it is not zero.

5 oldest quarterbacks to ever start a game for the Detroit Lions
As the Detroit Lions moved toward having a rookie quarterback in 2022, here are the five oldest quarterbacks to start a game in team history.