While the peak of the offseason is behind us, there are still transactions around the league trickling in. Following the NFL Draft, teams are now focused on filling the remaining holes on their roster and adding more depth ahead of training camp. This means that former members of the Detroit Lions will also be finding their new homes over the next couple of weeks and months.
On Wednesday, it was former Lions WR Tim Patrick who signed a new deal. ESPN reporter Rich Cimini shared on X that the New York Jets were signing Patrick to a one-year deal. This will be a reunion between Patrick and former Lions defensive coordinator and current Jets head coach Aaron Glenn.
Ex-Lions WR Tim Patrick signs with the New York Jets
Patrick spent only one season in Detroit, but left an impression. Initially signed to the Lions' practice squad right before the start of the 2024 season, the veteran receiver climbed up the hierarchy very quickly. Despite missing two full seasons with a torn ACL and a torn Achilles, Patrick became a starter for the Lions, finishing the season as the team's WR3, putting up 33 catches for 394 yards and three touchdowns.
The emergence of the veteran WR came out of nowhere, earning him votes in the Comeback Player of the Year voting.
While the Lions signed him to another contract after his comeback season, he was traded to the Jaguars for a sixth-round pick before the 2025 campaign as Detroit wanted to give a bigger role to Isaac TeSlaa. Patrick had another healthy and productive season in Jacksonville, helping them to an unexpected 13-4 record. Detroit, on the other hand, used the sixth-rounder they got on DT Skyler Gill-Howard.
Patrick will be joining a crowded WR room in New York. After the Jets finished as the worst passing offense in the league last year, they made an effort to revamp the pass-catching rotation. He should have a role as a versatile big target as the WR4/5 in the WR room that also has Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell, and Omar Cooper Jr.
Glenn is facing pressure to take a big step forward next season after finishing his first campaign 3-14. Desperate for more offense, relying on a familiar face makes plenty of sense. Whether Patrick and Glenn can help end the Jets' 15-year postseason drought in 2026 remains to be seen.
More Detroit Lions news and rumors:
Add us as a preferred source on Google