It didn't take long for defensive end Ahmed Hassanein to make his presence felt in the Detroit Lions' preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. At the same time, it was a long time coming.
On the Bengals' second offensive play, Hassanein shed his blocker, and worked his way through the middle gap for a sack on quarterback Joe Burrow for a nine-yard loss.
Ahmed got 'em! pic.twitter.com/qLYfqIXgVr
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 13, 2026
The sack marked Hassanein's return to the field after missing all of last season with a pec injury suffered during last year's preseason. Hassanein was waived with an injury settlement shortly after before re-signing with the Lions in November.
The 2025 sixth-round draft pick out of Boise State would go to sign a reserve/future contract at the conclusion of the 2025 season.
Hassanein's 2026 debut didn't end with the sack on Burrow, as he added two more tackles in the first half. Midway through the third quarter, Hassanein came up with another sack and force fumble on Josh Johnson on third down, forcing a field goal attempt.
Hassanein's two sacks were the only ones the Lions picked up in their 16-14 loss, and accounted for two of the Lions' five tackle for losses.
We see you, Ahmed ‼️ pic.twitter.com/dtlaXHya03
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 14, 2026
Hassanein has been making noise in training camp
From the moment Hassanein was drafted, he set the tone for what the Lions should expect out of him. Emotional, he told head coach Dan Campbell over the phone at his draft party that he would "die for" his new coach. Hopefully, it'll never come to that, but it's been clear he's been bringing that emotion and energy throughout training camp.
Hassanein, who spent the offseason working with Aidan Hutchinson's trainer, has gone from potentially missing the 53-man roster to quickly earning some first-team reps during training camp. That hard work so far has culminated with his preseason start against the Bengals.
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The Lions enter the preseason with questions surrounding the pass rush beyond Hutchinson. Rookie Derrick Moore missed this first preseason game with a minor groin strain. Veteran D.J. Wonnum, signed during free agency, also did not play.
This game was the perfect opportunity for Hassanein to show his training camp performance wasn't an illusion. That he's for real. His immediate impact against the Bengals' starters showed just that, putting him in play for significant snaps in the pass rush rotation.
This game was only just one milestone in Hassanein's comeback story. Training camp and the preseason will continue, and he'll have to keep stacking wins if he wants to make this roster. He's done just that so far, and right now, there's little reason to believe he'll stop anytime soon.
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