Getty Dan Campbell on the field before a 2022 game in Chicago.
The Detroit Lions stepped up and made more moves on the second day of the legal tampering period, and like the first day, their biggest decisions came in-house.
Detroit elected to bring back key free agent defensive lineman John Cominsky on Tuesday, March 14. That news was first reported by Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, who tweeted the news.
The #Lions have agreed to terms to bring back DL John Cominsky, source says. Two-year deal for $8.5 million with another $1 million in attainable incentives.
Cominsky gets $4 million fully guaranteed after a breakout season in which he played through a broken thumb.
“The Lions have agreed to terms to bring back DL John Cominsky, source says. Two-year deal for $8.5 million with another $1 million in attainable incentives. Cominsky gets $4 million fully guaranteed after a breakout season in which he played through a broken thumb,” Garafolo revealed.
Perhaps the most interesting part about Cominsky’s return per Garafolo? It’s something that head coach Dan Campbell wanted as well as pushed for as the team was having their offseason planning sessions.
“Pretty good day for John Cominsky, a former fourth-round pick of the Falcons out of D-II Charleston who was waived by Atlanta after requesting a fresh start. Got one with the Lions and Dan Campbell pushed hard to make sure he stayed for 2023,” Garafolo tweeted.
The Lions loved what Cominsky brought to the mix, so it is not a surprise to hear Campbell wanted him back on the roster for 2023. To see a coach go to bat publicly for a player is special, and shows how much value that player has to his team.
Cominsky’s words proved he wanted to stay, and the Lions actions now have proved it as well. That gives Campbell a major win on defense to start the 2023 offseason building period.
John Cominsky Wanted Lions Return Badly
For the last few months since the season ended, Cominsky has been telling the media he wants to return to the Lions as well as putting it out publicly.
Cominsky hopped on Instagram after the season concluded to share his thoughts on the matter. As he said, the 2022 season taught him a lot about goals as well as himself. He admitted that he wants to stick with Detroit as a result of how the season went and what was accomplished not only by the team, but by himself as a player.
“Exit meeting 2021-22 season: “Can I please get released?” Exit meeting 2022-23 season: “Can you please bring me back?” Life is absolutely insane. Sacrifices had to be made and uncertainty was my reality most of my career. Let this season be a testament to the fact that your “plays” are coming. Keep putting your time and effort into what you want and your big plays in life will come to you naturally. Learned a lot from this game and excited for what’s next. Thank you to the Lions organization and my family for making this possible. If I haven’t said it already, I WANT TO BE A LION. Tag Detroit Lions in the comments to make sure the message is loud and clear,” Cominsky wrote on Instagram.
That was quite a definitive statement by Cominsky, which only serves to prove that he was genuine about his intentions. The new deal will indeed keep him in town, and that’s great news for the Lions ahead of next season.
John Cominsky’s 2022 Stats Good for Lions’ Defense
While many other defenders may have received more love for their play this season, it’s been clear from the start that Cominsky was a huge key for the Lions.
Statistically, Cominsky enjoyed his best season in the NFL with Detroit, posting 30 total tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble and three passes defended. Energy-wise, he continued to show his strength to the roster and the defense throughout the year. Constantly, he collapsed the pocket up front and was responsible on the edge.
2019 4th round pick from Charleston and May 31 waiver claim for Detroit. What kind of contract has ‘23 FA John Cominsky earned?
The Lions stole Cominsky as a free agent when he signed last offseason from Atlanta despite a flurry of interest. Since he played his way on the team, it’s been clear Lions aren’t simply looking for stats when it comes to their defense. A player like Cominsky who does the right thing while brining the energy is someone who will seemingly always have value for the Lions and Aaron Glenn.
Now, Cominsky is coming back, and his head coach likely couldn’t be more excited given he wanted this to play out.