Football injuries are seldom completely preventable, but tight end Shane Zylstra feels as though his ACL tear could have been avoided when cornerback Khalil Dorsey dove at his knees during a drill. Zylstra suffered the injury early in 2023 training camp.
Dan Campbell, the head coach, was not happy about it.
The day following the play, Campbell stated, “To be honest, it shouldn’t have happened.”
“No, that’s not acceptable, and it has been brought up.
We don’t operate like that. And Khalil feels terrible, too, I assure you.
We understand, but we also need to look out for one another.
We still need to work together, compete, and be physically close to one another, but we also need to look out for one another.
That being said, we had a conversation about it and moved on.
The Lions had ownership over Zylstra’s rights as an exclusive rights free agent this offseason, so they didn’t need to do anything more than offer him a deal to retain him.
However, the team announced his re-signing on Monday afternoon.
The Lions are bringing Zylstra back for what is certain to be a one-year contract for the league minimum or close to it in place of the tender.
It’s possible that Zylstra requested the removal of the ERFA status, as Erik Schlitt of Pride of Detroit pointed out, or that the Lions are just offering him a better structured contract with some signing bonus money, etc. on their own.
Sam LaPorta, who broke numerous records in his rookie campaign last year, is undoubtedly a fantastic tight end that the Lions have acquired.
However, there is some concern about the depth behind him because last season’s active roster included James Mitchell, Brock Wright (a restricted free agent), and Anthony Firkser (an unrestricted free agent
Prior to the NFC Championship Game, Zach Ertz was added to the practice squad. However, he did not play in that game and is currently a free agent.
Zylstra joined the Lions’ tight end mix in 2022 following the trade of T.J. Hockenson, and he scored four touchdowns on 11 receptions, including a three-touchdown performance in Week 16 against the Carolina Panthers.
He signed with the Lions in 2021 and played in four games (three catches for 34 yards) while dividing his time between the active roster and the practice squad. Zylstra shouldn’t be any better than the Lions’ No. 2 or No. 3 tight end if he plays through to Week 1. However, his return indicates that he is totally recovered from the ACL tear.
