Jacob Saylors: Everything you need to know

The Lions signed Saylors to a one-year contract Monday. Saylors initially opened the regular season on the Lions' practice squad after failing to make the 53-man roster at the end of training camp, but he initially caught on ahead of Week 1 due to a hamstring injury to Sione Vaki. Saylors managed to stick around on the active roster for the entire 2025 season, primarily serving on special teams and leading the Lions with 897 yards on 33 kickoff returns while adding two carries for 11 yards across 16 games. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery figure to man the Lions' backfield for the foreseeable future, but Saylors will be with Detroit during offseason activities and look to show the coaching staff enough progress to earn a larger role for himself in 2026.

Saylors (back) is active for Thursday's Week 13 matchup versus the Packers. Saylors has been managing a back issue for most of November, and it caused him to sit out Week 10 against Washington. However, he's been able to play each of the past two weeks, and he's continued to work as the lead kick returner for the Lions. That will likely be Saylors' primary role again Thursday, as he has logged just seven offensive snaps through 10 games this year.

Saylors (back) remained a limited participant for Tuesday's walkthrough practice. Saylors handles kickoff returns for the Lions, as he's logged 699 scoreless yards on 26 returns this season. He otherwise carries no fantasy value while Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are healthy.