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The Detroit Lions got some solid play and leadership out of Tavon Wilson, and now that it’s a lock the team won’t bring the safety back, he’s speaking about his time in the Motor City.
Wilson made it clear with a tweet that he wouldn’t be returning to the Lions this offseason, and thanked the team for all the memories he made over the past few seasons.
Here’s a look at his post:
Thank you Detroit! Appreciate all of the relationships made over the past 4 years on the field & in the community. Nothing but love for the @Lions organization & the city. ✊🏾
The Lions have done a ton to reshape the safety spot this offseason on defense, bringing in Duron Harmon and also having players like Tracy Walker and Will Harris in the mix. They also added Jayron Kearse, and while he will be suspended for the first 3 games, the team is much deeper at the position than they have been in past seasons.
That depth likely prevented Wilson from coming back, but it doesn’t change what a solid player and person he is. This classy tweet only shows that to be more of the case in the end as he exits.
Tavon Wilson Was Open to Sticking With Lions
Wilson was a fit for the team ever since they picked him up a few offseasons ago, and continues to fit Matt Patricia’s mold on defense on the back end. He was also a quality leader on the field and in the locker room, things which matter a great deal for the team. Wilson has also been a free agent this offseason, and according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN, was open to return to the Lions next season.
Lions S Tavon Wilson, who is scheduled to enter free agency later this month, tells me he would be “happy coming back to Detroit,” but he’s also looking forward to going through the free agency process. Wilson is coming off one of the better years of… t.co/TBlDsD9mG4
As Wilson also said, he was looking forward to the free agency process. As Rothstein also said at the time, he could have seen Wilson returning to the team next season on a new contract.
@patchyjerry @PrideOfDetroit I think it’s a possibility he comes back. This is also the first time he’s going into free agency on a high note (when he signed in Detroit he was primarily a special teams player) so this is a chance for him to make some money.
Obviously, Wilson did not elect to come back and is now thinking of his next NFL stop while taking a look back at what he was able to do with the Lions.
Tavon Wilson Statistics
Wilson has been a playmaker since coming into the NFL out of Illinois in 2012 as a second round selection. He started his career with the Patriots, and has piled up 357 tackles and 8 career interceptions to go with 5 sacks. He’s also played on special teams before. There’s little doubt that Wilson is one of the better veteran options on the market given his understanding of Detroit’s defense.
Last season, when the Lions traded Quandre Diggs, they held things together due in part to Wilson being a steady influence on the back end. Having him in the secondary has been huge for the development of a couple key young players in Tracy Walker and Will Harris, both of whom figure to be the team’s future at the position in the next few years.
Wilson, in spite of this, is only 29 years old, so theoretically he has more excellent years left in the league. Now, the only thing left to see is where he might head.
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Former Lions Defender Sends Classy Message After Exit