Detroit Lions lose linebacker Jarrad Davis to New York Giants

The Detroit Lions linebacker corps is one man thinner, as the New York Giants have signed Jarrad Davis off their practice squad.

The Detroit Lions have lost two quarterbacks from their practice squad to the active roster of other teams in recent weeks. This time it’s a linebacker they’re losing, with Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reporting the New York Giants have signed Jarrad Davis off the Lions’ practice squad.

Davis returned to the Lions last offseason after a poor single season with the New York Jets. The 21st overall pick by Detroit in the 2016 draft, the Lions were simply outbid for Davis’ services by the Jets in 2021 free agency.

Davis has spent most of this season on the Lions’ practice squad. He played in three games, with three total tackles on 36 defensive snaps as he also played 28 special teams snaps.

Davis had been elevated to the active roster from the practice squad three times, exhausting that limit. If the Lions wanted to play him again this season, they would have had to sign him to the 53-man roster.

Lions lose Jarrad Davis to the New York Giants

The Lions possibly had the chance to sign Davis to their active roster before he took the Giants’ offer. He carried intangible value as a veteran mentor to rookie linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez, and in Week 10 against the Chicago Bears he had a pass breakup on one of his first snaps.

But ultimately, there just weren’t many opportunities for Davis to make an impact on the field for the Lions. After he didn’t make the team out of training camp, he was given a little extra money to come back to the practice squad–a sure sign of how highly he was valued within that context, and as the Lions needed to keep some experienced linebacker depth around.

A free agent again come March, the door is probably not closed on Davis coming back to the Lions again.