Getty Breshad Perriman on the field during Lions camp in July 2021.
The Detroit Lions have some big decisions to make with regards to cuts this week, and the first shoe to drop is a major one for the team given the trust the franchise appeared to put in him.
Breshad Perriman was signed as a reclamation project this offseason as one of the bigger free agents the Lions brought in. He struggled to live up to expectations throughout camp and the preseason due to injury, however, and quickly found himself on the outs with the team.
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According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Lions are releasing Perriman to kick off their week of cuts. Schefter tweeted the news early on Monday, August 30, just a day before the league’s official 53-player roster cut deadline.
First of many cuts this week is a notable one: Lions have released WR Breshad Perriman, per source.
Perriman has struggled in camp with health, and that culminated him being inconsistent early in camp. During the first preseason appearance, Perriman dropped a few catchable balls, which may have aided in his struggle in making the roster.
Dan Campbell Hinted Perriman Was on the Bubble
Perriman seemed to be in trouble for a while, and his status was cemented by his own head coach just a week ago when he was asked about the player.
Speaking before practice on Monday, August 23, Lions coach Dan Campbell was asked about Perriman as it relates to what he’s done with the team so far. As he explained, he doesn’t have a good idea yet of what Perriman has given his roster, partially because he hasn’t been on the field a lot early on.
“I think it’s hard to say right now. There just hasn’t been enough out there,” Campbell told the media. “He had the hip injury, he comes back and he was solid the other night for the plays that he had but he had an OPI, which he knows better than, he doesn’t need to do that. His speed and the route is enough to where he’d win on that. So, I think he’ll be better coming off this hip, he kind of got a game under him, but I think that room right now is still up for grabs. I think there’s a heavy competition going on in that room right now.”
It seemed that stiff that competition spelled doom for a player like Perriman in the end, and it is possible he was beaten out by a young player who has drive and has consistently made plays like Tom Kennedy, or someone who has been a revelation in practice thus far like Kalif Raymond.
So far, Perriman’s issues seem to be the same as they were in plenty of other NFL stops. Namely, he can’t stay healthy. That’s led to him having a relatively pedestrian career relative to his status as a former first-round pick. Pro Football Focus rated Perriman a 63.6 overall for his work in 2020, which is a pretty low mark for a player who has plenty of talents. Now, Perriman will have to find another home for those talents.
Perriman’s Career Stats & Highlights
In 2015, Perriman was a first-round pick out of UCF by the Baltimore Ravens. He played with the Ravens from 2015 to 2017, then playing for the Washington Football Team and Cleveland Browns in 2018 before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019. In 2020, Perriman joined the New York Giants. In terms of stats, he has put up 2,006 yards and 14 touchdowns in his career, but has not been consistent enough to sick in one place.
Here’s a look at some of the plays Perriman has made in the league thus far:
Perriman’s stay in Detroit was short, and now the Lions will go about filling the rest of their roster while Perriman will try to catch on quickly somewhere else.
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