The Detroit Lions are about to host the New Orleans Saints in their 2026 season opener on Sunday. Even though they have a few key players starting the season on the injured reserve list, the Lions had all 52 players on their roster and practice squad members healthy and available in Tuesday's practice. This should give Lions fans some optimism to start the season with a big win in a game they are heavily favored.
There are still a few unanswered questions about the Lions' roster. One of them is their open roster spot. Whether the Lions will sign anyone, either externally or from the practice squad, or keep cycling through players throughout the season using that spot remains to be seen.
Tom Kennedy will play a big role for the Lions to start the season
Another unanswered question is regarding their wide receiver depth. The Lions are the only team in the league that has four WRs on the roster. While some Lions fans are hoping for an addition to bolster their pass-catcher depth, nothing has materialized so far.
In parallel with the WR issue, the Lions may have a potential weakness in the return game. There is no one on the roster who has ever returned a punt in an NFL game. Jacob Saylors emerged as a good kick return specialist last season, but he is about to have a bigger role in the running game in Isiah Pacheco's absence. Sione Vaki and Tay Martin can take over some of those duties, but how effective they can be is unclear.
It turns out that the Lions have an in-house answer to all these questions. On Tuesday, Dan Campbell confirmed that long-time Lion and crowd favorite Tom Kennedy will play against the Saints on Sunday, per Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit. Campbell didn't specify whether Kennedy will be signed to the 53-man roster or just be elevated to the active roster for the game.
Regardless of the mechanics, Kennedy should play a significant role in Week 1, especially in the return game. The 30-year-old returned three punts for 50 yards last season and 16 kickoffs for 447 yards. He also had four catches for 36 yards in the passing game.
Kennedy has been a permanent fixture in Detroit since 2019. As the longest-tenured member of the team, Kennedy is as reliable as they come. His familiarity with the playbook, the coaching staff, and his teammates should help him contribute when called upon.
How involved Kennedy will be on offense remains to be seen, but he will certainly try to make an impact on special teams. How Week 1 goes could affect how the Lions see their WR depth and options in the return game.
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