K Michael Badgley
It has been a difficult 2024 season for Michael Badgley. After missing the entire campaign with a hamstring tear, Badgley watched Jake Bates put on an impressive display in his rookie season. Bates went 26/29 on field goals, including 6/8 on 50+ yard attempts and 64/67 on extra point attempts.
Before his season-ending injury, Badgley was the favorite to win the starting kicker job during training camp. He had played an important role down the stretch of the 2023 season, hitting a 54-yard game-winning field goal in the Wild Card Round against the Rams.
Now that he has hit unrestricted free agency, Lions fans want Badgley to find a new team as a starter. He is, however, more likely to get a chance to compete for a job at training camp. There is a chance he could come back and do that against Bates for the Lions. As things stand now, it may be a while before we know where Badgley will be kicking next season.
RB Ameer Abdullah
While Abdullah hasn't played for the Lions since the 2018 season, he is worth including due to his previous status as a fan favorite in Detroit. After being selected in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Abdullah quickly became an important part of the Lions offense. He showed intriguing explosiveness and production out of the backfield as a rookie, finishing with 597 rushing yards, while adding 183 more in the passing game. He was also an electrifying kick returner, highlighting his bright future with the team.
Things, however, took a bleak turn shortly after. Abdullah suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 2 of his sophomore season and never looked the same. Even though he returned as the starter the next season, he lacked the same burst as before. When Detroit decided to move on from him, he was claimed off waivers by the Vikings, making him an immediate rival.
Surprisingly enough, Abdullah just had the best season of his career since his Lions days. In his third season with the Raiders, he had a productive campaign, going for 572 yards from scrimmage and scoring five touchdowns while continuing kickoff and punt return duties.
Despite the surprise emergence, however, the 31-year-old is currently unsigned. Whether he has more productive seasons ahead of him remains to be seen.