Even though Detroit Lions wide receiver Tom Kennedy did not make the 53-man roster for the upcoming 2026 NFL season, he was brought back to the Lions as one of a handful of names on their practice squad.
But according to head coach Dan Campbell, Kennedy, who has been part of the Lions’ organization since 2019, will get a chance to show he belongs on the main roster early on.
Per Campbell, Kennedy is going to be active when the Lions hit the field for Week 1 against the visiting New Orleans Saints.
“Yeah, Tom Kennedy is playing in this game,” Campbell said via Justin Rogers on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Lions host the Saints at Ford Field on Sept. 13, marking the first time in over a decade that the Saints have ventured to the Motor City for a regular season contest.
The Detroit Lions Announced That Tom Kennedy Will Be Active For Week 1 Against New Orleans
According to Campbell, Kennedy is going to be active for Week 1 against the visiting Saints.
On Monday, Campbell was asked about how the club would utilize their two remaining roster spots, and he indicated that they had “a pretty good idea” of how to do so.
“I would say we’ve got a pretty good idea right now,” Campbell said via The Detroit News. “Our eyes are always open, we’re always going to be about competition. But I think we’ve got a pretty good idea of what we want to do going into this game. You never know, things can fluctuate. But yeah, we know what we want to do.”
That question was answered on Tuesday, as Kennedy was confirmed as taking one of the spots. It also wouldn’t be surprising, in the wake of the surprising decision to cut Greg Dortch (who was claimed by the Buffalo Bills, Detroit’s Week 2 opponent), to see Kennedy utilized on special teams as a kick returner.
Tom Kennedy Has Been With The Lions Since 2019
The longtime Lions practice squad member is originally from Farmingdale, New York, and played both football and lacrosse at Bryant University before stepping away from football after his freshman season. He later returned to the sport and earned first-team All-NEC honors after producing 57 catches for 888 yards and nine touchdowns.
Kennedy also earned All-NEC recognition in lacrosse and briefly pursued the sport professionally before returning to Bryant for one final football season, recording 33 receptions for 410 yards and a touchdown.
He signed with the Lions as undrafted free agent in 2019. Perhaps one of the most notable moments of his career came in 2021, when he recorded his first NFL reception and also saw action as a kick returner. He later threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Kalif Raymond on a trick play against Green Bay in January 2022.
After dealing with injuries and several roster moves in subsequent seasons, Kennedy returned to Detroit in 2026 and was most recently placed back on the practice squad following the team’s final roster cuts.
So far in his NFL career, Kennedy has racked up 231 receiving yards on 18 receptions, along with 762 return yards.
Detroit Lions Announce Major Update On WR Tom Kennedy