Lions' Jacob Saylors: Suiting up for Thanksgiving clash
Rotowire
Saylors (back) is active for Thursday's Week 13 matchup versus the Packers.
Saylors has been managing a back issue for most of November, and it caused him to sit out Week 10 against Washington. However, he's been able to play each of the past two weeks, and he's continued to work as the lead kick returner for the Lions. That will likely be Saylors' primary role again Thursday, as he has logged just seven offensive snaps through 10 games this year.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Limited again Tuesday
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Saylors (back) remained a limited participant for Tuesday's walkthrough practice.
Saylors handles kickoff returns for the Lions, as he's logged 699 scoreless yards on 26 returns this season. He otherwise carries no fantasy value while Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are healthy.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Limited Monday
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Saylors (back) was limited on Monday's estimated practice report.
Saylors has been dealing with a back issue for most of November. He's logged a total of six offensive snaps all season but is a fixture on special teams for the Lions. Saylors has returned 26 kickoffs for 699 scoreless yards while producing six tackles (four solo).
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: All set for SNF
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Saylors (back) is active for Sunday night's matchup with the Eagles.
Saylors will make his return to action after missing the team's win over Washington in Week 10 due to a back injury. The running back likely will be plugged back in as the Lions' primary kickoff returner against Philadelphia.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Tagged as questionable Week 11
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Saylors (back) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Philadelphia.
A back injury prevented Saylors from playing against the Commanders in Week 10. He was limited in all three practices during Week 10 prep, which gives him a chance to suit up in Sunday's road game in Philadelphia. The Lions could be thin in the backfield behind Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, as Sione Vaki is also listed as questionable due to an ankle injury.
Saylors (back) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Commanders.
A back issue prevented Saylors from participating in the final two practices of Week 10 prep, and the injury is severe enough for him to be sidelined for Sunday's road contest. Craig Reynolds (hamstring) is currently listed as questionable, and if he were to join Saylors on the Lions' inactive list, then Sione Vaki would serve as the Lions' RB3 behind Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Saylors' next opportunity to suit up is Week 11 against the Eagles on Sunday, Nov. 16.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Doesn't practice Thursday
Rotowire
Saylors (back) did not participate in practice Thursday.
Saylors did not appear to suffer an injury in Detroit's Week 9 matchup against the Vikings, but he was limited in practice Thursday. Should the 25-year-old reserve running back and kickoff returner be unable to return to practice Friday, he will be at risk of missing Sunday's matchup against Washington.
Lions' Jacob Saylors: Role limited to special teams
Rotowire
Saylors returned two kickoffs for 54 yards in Monday's 24-9 win over the Buccaneers.
Since logging his first two NFL carries (and gaining 11 yards) in a Week 4 blowout win over the Browns, Saylors has played exclusively on special teams in the Lions' subsequent three games. In addition to serving as Detroit's top kickoff returner, Saylors also has a role on the Lions' coverage units.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Questionable to return Week 4
Rotowire
Saylors is questionable to return to Sunday's game against Cleveland due to a hamstring injury.
Saylors appeared to suffer the injury during a Lions' punt return. He's primarily been deployed on special teams this season, so his absence won't impact the Lions' backfield, which is led by Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Signed to active roster
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The Lions signed Saylors off their practice squad Saturday.
With Sione Vaki (hamstring) out for Week 1 against the Packers, Saylors was signed to the 53-man roster as the Lions' RB4 behind Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery and special teams dynamo Craig Reynolds. Saylors carried the ball 33 times during the preseason, totaling 112 scoreless yards.
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Jacob Saylors: Gets spot on practice squad
Rotowire
Saylors signed with the Lions' practice squad Wednesday.
Saylors is entering his third season in the NFL but has yet to play in a regular-season game. He was highly productive over his past two seasons at East Tennessee State, but he'll need injuries to pile up before he gets a shot on the active roster.
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Jacob Saylors: Bumped to waivers
Rotowire
The Lions waived Saylors on Tuesday.
Saylors has bounced around on practice squads since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2023. The 24-year-old running back handled a team-high 11 touches in the second preseason game, turning them into 49 yards. Saylors was always a longshot for the 53-man roster, but he has a decent chance to stick around on the practice squad.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Leads team in rushing
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Saylors turned nine carries into 35 yards and caught both of his targets for 14 yards in Friday's 17-10 preseason win over Atlanta.
Saylors saw the most touches out of the backfield in the Lions' second preseason contest, producing 3.9 yards per carry. The 24-year-old was also able to flex his pass-catching ability in the contest, notching a pair of receptions, which was tied for the second most on the team. Saylors impressed enough to stick around for another week as he continues to battle for a spot on Detroit's 53-man roster.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Lands with Lions
Rotowire
Detroit signed Saylors to a contract Monday.
Saylors went undrafted out of East Tennessee State in 2023, and he's since logged offseason stints with the Bengals, Giants and Browns while also spending time on the Falcons' practice squad as a rookie. However, Saylors has also accrued 960 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns while adding a 45-397-3 receiving line across 18 regular-season games with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the UFL over the spring league's last two seasons. He's still vying for a chance to make his NFL regular-season debut.
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Jacob Saylors: Headed for free agency
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Saylors was waived by the Browns on Monday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealerreports.
Saylors joined Cleveland after being let go by the Giants on Aug. 11. He'd also spent time in camp with the Bengals and on the Falcons' practice squad in 2023 after going undrafted out of East Tennessee State, and he'd rushed for 461 yards at an impressive 4.9 yards per carry while adding a 23-152 receiving line for the UFL's St. Louis Battlehawks this past spring.
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Jacob Saylors: Let go by Big Blue
Rotowire
The Giants waived Saylors on Sunday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
After ending the 2023 season on the Falcons' injured reserve, Saylors caught on with the Giants in June. He played eight snaps in Thursday's 14-3 preseason win over the Lions, but all of them were on special teams. Saylors' path to the Giants' 53-man roster was always going to be a tough one, and the 23-year-old running back will now explore his next options assuming he clears waivers.
