The Detroit Lions continue to add their offense, signing Tyler Conklin to a one-year deal. NFL agent Mike McCartney was first with the news.
The name "Conklin" might've caught some Lions fans by surprise, maybe anticipating that Detroit had added a tackle Jack Conklin to their roster. The tight end by the name of Conklin is just as nice of a signing for Detroit's depth.
He's also a Michigan native, adding to the theme as of late for the Lions in free agency where they've been adding homegrown talent. Larry Borom was the first.
Most importantly, this move makes it feel like the Lions are looking to add some competition to the tight end room for Brock Wright, who was utilized a ton in 2025 thanks to Sam LaPorta's lingering back injury. Last season, Conklin posted 101 receiving yards on just seven targets, playing in just 13 games for Los Angeles.
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In eight seasons in the league, he's played for the Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, and Chargers. While he struggled with Los Angeles, he had some decent runs with the Jets and Vikings. But, some words of warning from Chargers expert Jason Reed on Conklin's play from 2025 as he heads for the Lions:
"Tyler Conklin struggled at every turn for the Chargers in 2025, including a mistake that fundamentally cost the team the game against the New York Giants in Week 4."
"In Week 1 he fumbled on a key drive against the Kansas City Chiefs that was only saved when Ladd McConkey batted the ball out of bounds. In Week 3 he killed a momentous drive late by never turning around for a screen pass. In Week 4 he picked McConkey instead of a Giants defender, giving New York a free interception that was nearly a pick-six and ultimately swung the game. In Week 5 he dropped a wide-open fourth-and-short pass beyond the sticks that opened the floodgates for Washington."
"After all these mistakes, Conklin didn't play much for the Chargers. He was too bad a blocker to justify getting significant snaps and his woeful showing in the passing game completely negated any value he had. He played 58 total offensive snaps after Week 5, 23 of which came in Week 18 when the Chargers rested their starters."
Detroit continues, at their own pace, to add to their depth. But, it's getting interesting to see how many pieces they're adding on offense, when they're weaknesses appear to be growing on defense.