Detroit Lions re-sign Shane Zylstra as tight end room takes shape

On Monday, tight end Shane Zylstra was re-signed by the Detroit Lions to a one-year deal.

Due to a knee injury he sustained in training camp, Zylstra, an exclusive rights free agent, missed the whole previous campaign. Near the conclusion of a session, he was hurt when teammate Khalil Dorsey struck him in the knee after he caught a short pass in the flat.

At the time, Lions coach Dan Campbell stated that the hit “shouldn’t have happened.” It was a legal hit, but it wasn’t the kind that was often seen at training camp.

Zylstra played in four games with the Lions in 2021 and scored four touchdowns in 13 games for the team in 2022.

For the next season, the Lions will have backup tight end James Mitchell and top tight end Sam LaPorta returning, but Brock Wright and Anthony Firkser may be lost to free agency. On March 13, Wright will become a restricted free agent. At a cost of $2.985 million, the Lions can maintain the opportunity to negotiate with him by tendering him a right of first refusal.

After suffering a training camp injury and missing all of 2023, tight end Shane Zylstra is back with the Detroit Lions for 2024.

The Detroit Lions are trying to keep some of their players, and on Monday afternoon they revealed that tight end Shane Zylstra had been re-signed. Free agency is less than a week away.

Zylstra became a member of the Lions in 2021 and divided his time between the playing roster and the practice squad. He participated in 17 games throughout the first two seasons in Detroit, making two starts, but was sidelined in 2023 due to a season-ending knee injury sustained during training camp.

In August, coach Dan Campbell stated of Zylstra, “He was a pivotal part of our success last year once we started turning the corner.” And, dude, he just does everything well. He is a grinder and a worker.

Zylstra’s return to the club means the Lions have three tight The Detroit Lions are trying to keep some of its players, and on Monday afternoon, they revealed that tight end Shane Zylstra had been re-signed. Free agency begins in less than a week.

Zylstra became a member of the Lions in 2021 and divided his time between the playing roster and the practice squad. He participated in 17 games throughout the first two seasons in Detroit, making two starts, but was sidelined in 2023 due to a season-ending knee injury sustained during training camp.

In August, coach Dan Campbell stated of Zylstra, “He was a pivotal part of our success last year once we started turning the corner.” And, dude, he just does everything well. He is a grinder and a worker.

Zylstra’s return to the club means the Lions have three tight James Mitchell, Zylstra, and All-Pro Sam LaPorta are the team’s ends. While Anthony Firkser is expected to be an unrestricted free agency, Brock Wright, who was a member of the active roster during the previous season, is now a restricted free agent.

The Lions could be content to start training camp with only the three tight ends on their roster, but they seem eager to get Wright back and may be seeking to add more competition or depth through free agency or the NFL Draft.

The last technical detail is that Zylstra was supposed to be an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA), but his return was referred to as a “re-signing,” which means they signed him to a conventional deal rather than through the tender. The Lions may have taken this action to offer