Report: Lions will activate DT Brodric Martin from injured reserve

According to a report from NFL insider Aaron Wilson on Tuesday evening, the Detroit Lions will activate defensive tackle Brodric Martin from IR. The team has not yet made the move official, but spot on the 53-man roster was opened on Tuesday when safety Ifeatu Melifonwu was placed back on IR due to a new injury.

Update, 1:50 p.m. ET: The Lions have activated Martin.

The Lions traded up to take Martin in the third round of the 2023 draft, but his rookie season was largely a "redshirt" year as he played in just three games (28 snaps). He was in line for a larger role this season as a backup to DJ Reader at nose tackle, but a knee injury in the preseason finale landed him on IR to start the season.

Martin 21-day return clock was started on Oct. 30, and expired this week as head coach Dan Campbell's comments about taking the evaluation of Martin right to the end came true.

Lions to add Brodric Martin to active roster

On Monday, Campbell had what amounted to a final update on Martin before the decision to active him.

"Yeah, he’s been doing a good job. He’s done a solid job out there on practice squad, giving us a good look, and trying to work his craft, so I think we would like to get him on the roster here and at least have him, and then just see where it goes.”

Since Kyle Peko landed on IR himself early in the season, the Lions have turned to Pat O'Connor (6-foot-4, 270 pounds) as the primary backup to Reader at nose tackle, Martin (6-foot-5, 330 pounds) is certainly better physically suited to playing nose tackle.

Martin will be the second player the Lions' have activated from IR this year, after Melifonwu's procedural move to allow putting him back on IR. That leaves six spots available, with a list of possible/likely returnees that includes cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin, linebacker Alex Anzalone and possibly Melifonwu again. Aidan Hutchinson, Derrick Barnes and John Cominsky also linger as possibilities to come off IR late in the season or in the playoffs.