Former Lions DE Bruce Irvin Lands With NFL Playoff Team: Report

Two days after the Detroit Lions waived defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs, the veteran signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. It didn’t happen quite as fast, but recently released Lions defensive end Bruce Irvin has also found a new home.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on January 9 that Irvin has signed a contract to join the Miami Dolphins.

Irvin was one of three edge rushers the Dolphins signed.

“The Dolphins are signing two more veteran pass rushers: Bruce Irvin to the active roster and Malik Reed to the practice squad, per sources,” wrote Pelissero on X (formerly Twitter).

“So after a crazy run of injuries, Miami adds Justin Houston, Irvin and Reed days before a wild-card playoff game at Kansas City.”

Irvin is joining the Dolphins active roster after spending roughly two months on Detroit’s practice squad. Irvin played in two games with the Lions, posting 1 tackle for loss, 2 quarterback hits and 1 sack.

The Lions waived the 36-year-old on January 3. Ironically, Irvin and Buggs will face each other with their new teams on Wild Card weekend.

Bruce Irvin Signs With Miami Dolphins

With his Dolphins contract, Irvin is signing a deal with his seventh NFL organization.

He began his career as the No. 15 overall pick for the Seattle Seahawks in the 2012 NFL draft. Irvin posted 8 sacks as a rookie in 2012. He followed up that campaign with 40 combined tackles, including 2 tackles for loss, 4 quarterback hits and 2 sacks to help the Seahawks win the Super Bowl during the 2013 season.

Irvin played six seasons for the Seahawks over three different stints with the team. He signed with Seattle in 2020 and 2022 after seasons elsewhere.

In addition to the Lions and Seahawks, Irvin has also played for the then Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears in his career. But other than the Seahawks, Irvin has only played multiple seasons for the Raiders.

Irvin has posted 344 combined tackles, including 70 tackles for loss, 131 quarterback hits and 56.5 sacks in 140 career NFL games.

Dolphins Could Count on Irvin’s Experience in Playoff Matchup

Prior to his departure from Detroit, Irvin hinted while saying goodbye to the Lions on X (formerly Twitter) that he could return.

Irvin, though, didn’t sign with Miami in the hopes of spending more than one season with another team. The Dolphins need pass rushing help now.

Within the past week, Miami lost both edge rushers Bradley Chubb and Andrew Van Ginkel. The two pass rushers combined for 17 sacks during the regular season.

Irvin, along with Justin Houston and Malik Reed, will be called upon to replace those key defenders, particularly Chubb, who led the Dolphins with 11 sacks.

In 12 career playoff games, Irvin has performed well. He didn’t have a sack during the 2013-14 postseason when the Seahawks won the Super Bowl. But Irvin posted 2 sacks with 2 tackles for loss and 6 quarterback hits in 3 playoff games during the 2014-15 playoffs when the Seahawks repeated as NFC Champions.

Last year, Irvin played in his first playoff game since 2016. Against the San Francisco 49ers in that contest, Irvin had 5 combined tackles, including 2 tackles for loss and a sack.

As the AFC’s No. 6 seed, the Dolphins will face the Kansas City Chiefs on the road during Wild Card weekend. Kickoff will be at 8 pm ET on January 13.