In football, injuries are never truly preventable, but the ruptured ACL tight end Shane Zylstra suffered early in the 2023 training camp appears to have been avoidable after cornerback Khalil Dorsey dove at his legs during a drill. Dan Campbell, the head coach, wasn’t thrilled.
“Honestly, it shouldn’t have happened,” Campbell stated the day after the play. “No, we are not okay with that, and it has been addressed…That is not what we do. And believe me, Khalil feels terrible as well. We understand it, but we must take care of one another. We still have to be physically active, we have to work together, and we have to compete, but we also have to look out for one another. So we talked about it.
Zylstra was an exclusive rights free agent this offseason, thus the Lions had complete control over his rights and did not need to make any formal announcement to keep him other than tendering him a contract. But, on Monday afternoon, the team announced that he had been re-signed.
In place of the tender, the Lions are re-signing Zylstra to a one-year contract worth the league minimum or close to it. As Erik Schlitt of Pride of Detroit pointed out, it’s possible that Zylstra requested that the ERFA status be removed, or that the Lions are simply offering him a different contract with some signing bonus money, etc.
Detroit Lions bring back Shane Zylstra as a depth tight end
The Lions have clearly identified a star tight end in Sam LaPorta, who set numerous records as a rookie last season. However, there is some depth behind him, with James Mitchell, Brock Wright (restricted free agent), and Anthony Firkser (unrestricted free agent) all on the active roster last season. Zach Ertz was signed to the practice squad prior to the NFC Championship Game, however he did not play and is now a free agent.
After T.J. Hockenson was moved in 2022, Zylstra emerged as a factor in the Lions’ tight end rotation, scoring four touchdowns on 11 receptions, including a three-touchdown game against the Carolina Panthers in Week 16. He joined the Lions in 2021, dividing time between the active roster and the practice squad and appearing in four games (three receptions for 34 yards).
If he remains around until Week 1, Zylstra should be the Lions’ second or third tight end. However, his return indicates that he is totally recovered from a damaged ACL.
