The Detroit Lions have begun making their first signings following the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft. On Wednesday, the Lions signed Michigan State star linebacker Joe Bachie. This is a move that Lions fans who also rep the Green and White are bound to love.
Back in what many Spartan fans like to refer to as the "glory years" of Michigan State football under former legendary coach Mark Dantonio, Bachie was a critical piece to the Spartans' defense from 2016 to 2019.
In his four seasons with Michigan State, Bachie had 285 total tackles, eight sacks, and four forced fumbles. During the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Bachie recorded 100-plus tackles in both of them.
Bachie's NFL carrer before the Lions
Since going undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft, Bachie has played for four separate teams, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, and Tennessee Titans.
In that time, Bachie has recorded 77 total tackles in his NFL career. Now signed with the Lions, it’ll be intriguing to see what type of role he’ll play at linebacker. Following the departure of Alex Anzalone to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason, the Lions selected Michigan Wolverines linebacker Jimmy Rolder in the fourth round of the draft at No. 118 overall.Â
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Entering the 2026 season, expect the Lions' starting linebackers to likely remain the same with Malcolm Rodriguez, Jack Campbell, and Derrick Barnes. However, the second string of linebackers could feature both a former Spartan and Wolverine as part of the backup linebacker group for the Lions.Â
Michigan-Michigan State rivalry feautured in Lions linebacker group
Bachie and Rolder are both known for their toughness as linebackers, and being on opposing sides of the Michigan and Michigan State rivalry, it’ll be interesting to see how the two gel together at linebacker for the Lions.Â
With the second phase of NFL free agency officially underway following the conclusion of the draft, Lions fans hope that general manager Brad Holmes makes impactful moves that will help Detroit return to the playoffs after finishing with a 9-8 overall record and last-place finish in the NFC North last season. In addition to signing Bachie, the Lions also added former New York Jets defensive tackle Jay Tufele.
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