The Detroit Lions dropped a surprise move ahead of Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, benching starting edge rusher and defensive captain Charles Harris after a slow start to the season.
The demotion could put more pressure on second-year edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson and create opportunities for the team’s bench to take on a bigger role and comes as the Lions have been forced to shift around the defense due to a spate of early injuries.
Rough Start for Charles Harris
As Kyle Meinke of MLive.com noted, Harris had a slow start with just 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits in 227 defensive snaps this year. That put his spot in the depth chart at risk, with the Lions deciding to make a move ahead of their October 22 game against the Ravens.
Harris’s demotion comes after the Lions brought back defensive lineman Josh Paschal, who was put on injured reserve after an early injury. As Meinke wrote, Paschal is among a group of defensive linemen who could see a larger share of Harris’s snaps now that he has gone to the bench.
“His demotion likely means more action for John Cominsky, Julian Okwara, Romeo Okwara and the recently-activated Josh Paschal, while star Aidan Hutchinson continues with a near-every down role,” Meinke wrote.
It was not clear if Harris’s benching was a long-term decision or more matchup-related against the Ravens and dynamic quarterback Lamar Jackson.
The Lions defense is going to look a lot different in Baltimore, where Jerry Jacobs (the NFL interceptions leader) was ruled out after a pregame workout, plus Charles Harris got benched after a slow start to the season
The Lions are already dealing with a number of other unexpected changes to their defense, with season-ending injuries to safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley. The team also had a late addition to the injury report this week, with NFL interception leader Jerry Jacobs being ruled out with a knee issue.
The cornerback had started all six games this season as Moseley worked his way back from an ACL tear that cut short his 2022 season. Moseley made it just two snaps into his 2023 season before suffering an ACL tear in his opposite leg.
Big Role for Aidan Hutchinson
With Harris moving to the bench, the Lions could look even more to Hutchinson to put pressure on opposing offenses. The second-year edge rusher has 18 total tackles with 4.5 sacks and one interception so far this season.
Hutchinson has also become a leader in the locker room and vocal about his desire to turn the franchise’s fortunes around. After a big season-opening win over the Kansas City Chiefs, Hutchinson said he hopes it will usher in a new era for the Lions.
“We’re tired of losing, man. We’re tired of being on the poor side of things where you walk away from these games and it’s a close one, but you lose,” Hutchinson said, via Bleacher Report. “I think we’re tired of it, man. I think we’re coming this season. Even though KC was a little shorthanded on defense and offense, I don’t care, dude. A win’s a win and we’re gonna carry this momentum and we’re gonna keep going.”
Hutchinson has helped deliver so far, leading the Lions to a 5-1 record and a lead in the NFC North. The team is looking to break their seven-year playoff drought.
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Lions Turn Heads With Benching of Defensive Captain