If you needed any sign that the 2025 season had gotten underway, the Detroit Lions' kick return team delivered that sign within the opening minutes of their Hall of Fame game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Lions return man Grant Stuard, a linebacker with the Lions, caught the kickoff from the Chargers and immediately fumbled the ball into the back of another Lions player, leading to a quick touchdown from the Chargers and quarterback Trey Lance.
Stuard was lined up in the backfield with rookie wide receiver Dominic Lovett. He received the second kickoff from Los Angeles and returned it cleanly for a nice gain, redeeming himself after creating quite the blooper for the Lions on their very first play of the year.
Lions' first preseason game of the year began with a bang
Not a huge deal, with the Lions playing many second and third teamers in lieu of starters and their top two rookies in this opening preseason bout. But, it was a bit odd to see a linebacker lined up for receiving a kick.
Of course, according to Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network, it's something that Stuard has been doing in practice. According to Rogers, he ran the 400m in high school, giving some legs to his ability to actually be a decent returner.
Regardless, it must have been a little demoralizing to have your first moment on the field of the 2025 season be a fumble. Plus, Stuard isn't even listed as a punt returner on the Lions' depth chart currently. He's the linebacker right behind defensive "captain" Jack Campbell on the depth chart.
Stuard is not likely to see many more reps on special teams if he doesn't have a near perfect recovery from this fumble on his first kick return of the season. He's one of a very few healthy linebackers on the Lions' roster, so risking his health on this experiment may not be worth the squeeze longterm for Detroit's depth behind Campbell and Anzalone.
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The Lions also have a rookie in waiting ready to take over as a punt returner for them in Lovett. While Detroit shouldn't be looking to give the reigns to Lovett entirely, he's got the speed and strength to be a decent returner for the Lions if he can't work his way into a role consistently backing up the teams' current receiving group.