Coming off their Week 10 victory against the Washington Commanders, the Lions made quick work to add to their practice squad.
The Lions worked out tight ends Anthony Firkser and Thomas Gordon Tuesday morning, opting to sign the more established Firsker. Gordon is a 2025 UDFA who spent the spring with the San Antonio Brahmas of the UFL en route to a contract with the Chicago Bears during training camp, before being released.
Detroit is still seeking stability on its injury report, with Terrion Arnold and Kerby Joseph the most notable injuries the team is monitoring headed into Week 11 against the Philadelphia Eagles. It could be a good sign for Arnold's availability, at the very least, that the team decided to opt for depth at tight end rather than at cornerback for their upcoming game.
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Firkser was a UDFA in 2017 out of Harvard, bouncing around with the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets. He'd find stability in Tennessee with the Titans from 2018 to 2021. Firsker has spent the last four seasons going between five NFL teams, including the Lions in 2023.
Firsker has totaled 115 receptions for 1,207 yards and five touchdowns in his NFL career.
With the addition of Firsker, the Lions have released offensive lineman Jack Conley from their practice squad.
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Conley signed with the Lions last week amid injuries on the offensive line, including Christian Mahogany being placed on injured reserve. The Lions now have Devin Cochran, Netane Muti, Kingsley Eguakun, Chris Hubbard, Michael Niese, and Mason Miller as reserve offensive linemen on the practice squad.
Currently, the Lions are healthy at tight end with Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, and Ross Dwelley all healthy. The addition of Firsker may be to add some competition as a blocking option, with LaPorta's backup, Wright, having issues as a run blocker. Wright has graded out as a 50.6 per PFF as a run blocker, which is below league average.
Additionally, LaPorta cropped up on the Lions' injury report on Thursday, with the tight end listed as having a back injury. This would make Firsker's signing make even more sense.
With Firsker having plenty of experience, he'll likely be elevated if he spends an extended amount of time on the Lions roster. Firsker has appeared in 78 regular-season games, including seeing significant time on both offense and special teams.