The Lions signed Saylors to a one-year contract Monday.
Saylors initially opened the regular season on the Lions' practice squad after failing to make the 53-man roster at the end of training camp, but he caught on ahead of Week 1 due to a hamstring injury to Sione Vaki. Saylors managed to stick around on the active roster for the entire 2025 season, primarily serving on special teams and leading the Lions with 897 yards on 33 kickoff returns while adding two carries for 11 yards across 16 games. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery figure to man the Lions' backfield for the foreseeable future, but the one-time UFL standout will be with Detroit during offseason activities and look to show the coaching staff enough progress to earn a larger role for himself in 2026.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Limited again Tuesday
Rotowire
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: Unavailable for Week 10
Rotowire
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: 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: Signed to active roster
Rotowire
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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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Leads team in rushing
Rotowire
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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Jacob Saylors: Headed for free agency
Rotowire
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: Sidelined by injury
Rotowire
Saylors (undisclosed) was placed on the Falcons' practice squad injured list Monday, Terrin Waack of the team's official site reports.
Saylors will now be out for the next four weeks and be ineligible to practice with the team or be elevated to the active roster. The East Tennessee State product joined Atlanta on Oct. 18 after failing to stick with the Bengals out of training camp.
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Jacob Saylors: Waived by Cincinnati
Rotowire
The Bengals waived Saylors on Tuesday.
Saylors signed with Cincinnati as an undrafted free agent in May, but he couldn't land a roster spot with the team. He'll now seek out other opportunities ahead of the 2023 season.
