The Detroit Lions were forced to turn to a group of little-known defensive backs to lead their secondary amid a flurry of injuries this season, with the group even earning the nickname “Legion of Whom” for their relative anonymity in the NFL.
But the Lions have started to get some key players back, and one of the fill-in defensive backs is looking for a new home. The team announced that safety Erick Hallett had been released from the active roster, making way for some returning players.
The release came just hours before the Lions kicked off against the New York Giants in a game with big playoff implications.
Former Sixth-Round Pick Saw First NFL Action This Season
Hallett came into the NFL as a sixth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023, but got his first NFL experience this year when he appeared in two games for the Lions with one start. He made a total of eight tackles in that time, with opposing quarterbacks targeting him nine times and completing six of those passes for 75 yards.
Hallett came up big in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, part of a group that drew praise from defensive coordinator Kelvin Shappard.
âThe âLegion of Whom,â they introduced themselves to the NFL,â Sheppard said, via MLive.com. âI stood up here before yâall on that Thursday and told yâall it was an opportunity. It was an opportunity for those guys to introduce themselves to the NFL and to the world. Thereâs nothing better than clicking on Instagram and seeing a hundred articles talking about Nick Whiteside. That is unbelievable. A guy that was in the UFL probably thought, honestly â because when youâre in those cleats, man â âThis is the end of the road for meâ or âOh, I get a practice-squad spot.â Theyâre grateful for those moments.”
Sheppard added that the group of fill-ins did well stopping Tampa’s strong passing game, and mentioned Hallett by name when praising the group.
âFor them to not only get that opportunity but make the most of it â Erick Hallett, Art Maulet, Tyrus Wheat â the names go on and on of guys who went out and not only played and held the line, but put some pressure on some of our starters,” he said.
The Lions can still bring Hallett back to the practice squad, where he started this season before earning a call-up to the active roster in October.
Lions Get Back on Track With Big Win
The Lions jumped back to the top of the NFC North with a gritty win over the Giants on Sunday, battling back after trailing for the majority of the game and winning 34-27 in overtime.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell said the team took some calculated risks and were lucky to see things fall their way. The Giants also rolled the dice, including a fourth-down attempt when they could have kicked a field goal to extend their lead to six points late in the game, but saw it backfire on them.
âThat very easily â a number of times â couldâve gone the other way, but it didnât,â Campbell said. âWe made the plays we had to make.â
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