The Detroit Lions will try to patchwork their secondary together again for a second consecutive week Monday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But the team will get a big boost along the defensive line with the return of Alim McNeill.
The Lions announced activating McNeill just hours prior to kickoff Monday evening. The move was one of several Detroit made just before facing the Buccaneers.
Additionally, the Lions released outside linebacker Ty Summers and signed cornerback Arthur Maulet to the active roster from the practice squad. Finally, the Lions also elevated safeties Tre Flowers and Loren Strickland from the practice squad for the Week 7 matchup.
McNeill will be making his 2025 debut Monday night. The defensive tackle suffered a torn ACL during Week 15 of last season.
The 25-year-old was one of Detroit’s top defensive players prior to his injury in 2024. Over 14 games last season, McNeill posted 25 combined tackles, including seven tackles for loss and seven quarterback hits with 3.5 sacks.
McNeill also had one pass defense and one forced fumble. He had five sacks in 13 contests during 2023.
Monday night will be the first time McNeill and Aidan Hutchinson will play together on the Lions defensive front since October 13 of last year.
DT Alim McNeill Returning for Lions vs. Buccaneers
McNeill getting back on the field Monday night could be key for the Lions. That’s because once again, Detroit is badly wounded in the secondary.
Cornerbacks Khalil Dorsey, D.J. Reed and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. all remain on injured reserve. Fellow cornerback Terrion Arnold, defensive back Avonte Maddox and safety Kerby Joseph are each dealing with injuries and won’t play either.
Finally, defensive back Brian Branch will be out because of a one-game suspension as the result of a punch he threw at the end of Week 6.
Without all those defensive backs, the Lions will need to score a lot of points and get plenty of pressure from their defensive line to defeat the Buccaneers. Getting McNeill back in the fold could help the Lions along the defensive line interior.
Maulet will be appearing in his second game for Detroit this season. In Week 6, he posted three combined tackles.
Flowers and Strickland will also be dressing with the Lions for a second time this season. Flowers didn’t post a statistic while playing nine defensive snaps on October 5.
Strickland only lined up on special teams when he appeared in a game for the Lions the same day.
The Lions also added defensive back Jammie Robinson this past week. Detroit signed Robinson to the active roster from the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad.
Lions Part Ways With LB Ty Summers
To make room for Maulet and to have the ability to promote the safeties from the practice squad, the Lions moved on from Summers.
The 30-year-old linebacker has mostly been a special teams player in his NFL career. In two games for the Lions this season, he played 26 special teams snaps and zero on defense.
Summer didn’t record any statistics in two games.
Last season, he had 29 combined tackles, including one tackle for loss with the New York Giants. He also had a pass defense.
Summers has also played for the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints in his seven-year NFL career.
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