Getty Trinity Benson on the field for Lions training camp in 2022.
The Detroit Lions have been walking wounded in their receiver room, and the team has taken an interesting step to try and solve that problem.
On Wednesday, November 9, it was revealed that the Lions would be signing wide receiver Trinity Benson off Denver’s practice squad to their active roster. The move would represent an interesting addition for the Lions relative to where their team is currently at.
Detroit Free Press reporter Dave Birkett was the first to break the news of Benson’s signing in Detroit.
Lions are signing WR Trinity Benson off Broncos practice squad.
Lions are signing WR Trinity Benson off Broncos practice squad,” Birkett tweeted.
Benson was in Detroit in 2021, and battled hard for a roster bid most of the 2022 offseason. He was cut after a hotly-contested camp battle, and ended up landing on his feet with the Broncos, who dealt him to the Lions last year.
Now, Benson comes back full-circle and the move is likely to have some implications for Detroit’s banged-up receiver room in the days ahead all things considered.
Injured Lions Wideout Room Necessitated Move
Detroit has been dealing with injuries to wide receivers all year, and the move to bring back Benson might have a lot of different meanings for the team.
First and foremost, it could be an admission that hobbled DJ Chark, who has been on the IR, may not be close to a healthy return this season. The Lions had hoped that Chark would come back quickly off his bum ankle, but the move to add Benson could be insurance for if he doesn’t, or faces more injury troubles.
Another situation worth remembering? Detroit was without the services of Josh Reynolds last week. Reynolds represents a big share of the targets given everything that has been missing for the last few weeks with the team at the position, so Benson could chip in and spell Reynolds if he is not healthy enough to play at a complete level.
At the very least, it’s nice for the Lions to have a player like Benson to chip in that they can turn to.
Benson’s Stats and Highlights
Benson has long been seen as a small-school sleeper in the league given he came out undrafted from East Central University in Oklahoma.
During his career there, Benson put up 1,700 yards and 11 touchdowns as a pass catcher. He also collected 642 yards in kickoff returns. As a result of this work, Benson earned All-Great American Conference selections after his last two years in school, proving how he had advanced as a player. Benson was added to the Broncos’ roster, but didn’t make the team in 2019 and was cut in 2020.
In spite of that, Benson has some obvious talents he showed including his speed and playmaking ability as the highlights show:
In Detroit, Benson put up a total of 103 receiving yards on 10 receptions for the team. Now, he will be counted on to add some pass catching depth for the team in the event of they are still without some key pieces for the next few weeks.