The Detroit Lions are bringing back a familiar face to training camp, less than a week after they had cut him loose.
The Lions have made a series of roster moves since the start of training camp late last month, shifting around players at the fringes of the roster. That included a tight end swap last week, when the team cut ties with Zach Horton to bring back Anthony Firkser.
Horton didn’t remain gone for long, with the Lions announcing on Tuesday that he was returning to the team to replace the injured Firkser.
Zach Horton’s Unexpected Return to the Lions
Horton had initially signed with the team as an undrafted free agent last year, spending time on the practice squad and making his NFL debut on Thanksgiving against the Green Bay Packers. He would go on to appear in two games, appearing mostly on special teams and registering no offensive stats.
The Lions had initially parted ways with Horton to sign Firkser, who was waived earlier in the week. The veteran Firkser went down at the team’s practice on Monday, with head coach Dan Campbell later revealing he suffered a broken leg and would be placed on season-ending injured reserve.
“Firk, he’s got a fractured fibula, so he’ll be out, obviously. And then Keys had a little bit of a hammy. So, got (Zach) Horton back today at the tight end position and we move on. We move on,” Campbell said, via USA Today’s Lions Wire.
As Josh Helmer of USA Today’s Lions Wire noted, Firkser was very familiar with the Lions after spending the 2023 season with the team.
“Firkser, 31, first joined the Lions as a practice squad member in October of 2023,” Helmer wrote. “Firkser would be signed to the active roster in late December of 2023, appearing in two regular-season games and all three playoff games with the Lions.
“After being waived following the 2023 campaign, Firkser was signed to the Lions’ practice squad before signing a contract with the New York Jets in July of 2024.”
Lions Dealing With Another Injury
The Lions have been bitten by the injury bug early in training camp, with running back Sione Vaki also being knocked out of Monday’s practice after taking a hit to the face.
“Vaki yesterday got poked in the eye, broken nose, so he’s going to be out for a little bit here. We’re hopeful vision should be OK in time,” Campbell said. “We’re not going to have him here today. Just going to let him kind of recover a little bit, so we think he’ll be OK. He’s just going to need a minute here. Just one of those freak things. Somehow a hand gets through the facemask. It was unbelievable.”
Lions Bring Back 6-Foot-4 Tight End Just Days After Cutting Ties With Him