The Detroit Lions are working against the clock as Tuesday’s 4:00 p.m. EST deadline to finalize their 53-man roster approaches. Adding to the drama, backup QB Nate Sudfeld may be out for the season with a torn ACL, as reported by Adam Schefter.

When asked about Sudfeld, head coach Dan Campbell said, “I’m not going to confirm that. He’s getting a second opinion right now.”

Campbell added,” “Well, if it is the deal with Nate, it’s awful, and I hate that for him. That’s tough because Nate’s given us everything he’s had…but I also have a lot of faith in (Lions QB) Teddy (Bridgewater), and he’s gotten better and better every practice, every week, so I feel pretty good.”

Roster Cuts: An Emotional Process

Campbell highlighted the emotional toll that roster cuts take on everyone involved, especially the players:

Well, I don’t think it’s as bad as it is on the players that are there, because that’s tough. That’s tough for them… It’s hard to look them in the eye and tell them, ‘Hey, this is as far as it goes for now.’ But there’ll be a number of guys too that, ‘Yeah, you didn’t make it on this maybe the 53, but we want you back here.’

Updates on Injured Veterans

Julian Okwara and Ifeatu Melifonwu are both competing for roster spots and currently injured. Emmanuel “E-man” Moseley, however, seems secure despite a lingering ACL issue. Campbell said about these injured players, ” JO didn’t come back in the game, so I don’t see him practicing today. E-man’s doing well, but he’s somebody we’ll discuss tonight on whether – do we keep him on PUP, do we take him off? He’s close, but he’s doing well. Iffy, he’s another, he’s not going to practice today. It’s day-to-day. We’ll see.”

Roster Transactions: August Overview

The Lions have been active in reshaping their roster. Below is a summary of August’s transactions:

8/27

• Released:
  • DL Christian Covington
  • OL Bobby Hart
  • OL Germain Ifedi
  • WR Jason Moore
  • RB Devine Ozigbo
• Waived:
  • WR Trinity Benson
  • WR Avery Davis
  • OL Obinna Eze
  • TE Daniel Helm
  • OL Alex Mollette
  • S Scott Nelson
  • OL Darrin Paulo
  • CB Colby Richardson

8/23

• Waived:
  • DB Saivion Smith (with injury settlement)

8/20

• Signed:
  • S Scott Nelson
• Waived:
  • RB Mohamed Ibrahim

8/18

• Signed:
  • WR Jason Moore
• Waived:
  • WR Denzel Mims

8/14

• Signed:
  • WR Avery Davis
  • C Alex Mollette
• Waived:
  • WR Trey Quinn

8/13

• Signed:
  • CB Colby Richardson
• Waived:
  • OL Ross Pierschbacher (with injury settlement)

8/12

• Waived:
  • CB Tae Hayes

8/10

• Signed:
  • QB Teddy Bridgewater
  • RB Benny Snell
• Waived:
  • G Logan Stenberg
• Other:
  • RB Justin Jackson placed on Reserve/Retired list

8/9

• Signed:
  • RB Devine Ozigbo
• Waived:
  • WR Avery Davis

8/7

• Signed:
  • OL Bobby Hart
• Waived:
  • LS Jake McQuaide

8/5

• Signed:
  • CB Tae Hayes
  • WR Avery Davis
• Waived:
  • DL Zach Morton

8/4

• Waived:
  • CB Jaren Williams

8/2

• Signed:
  • TE Darrell Daniels
  • TE Daniel Helm
• Waived:
  • TE Derrick Deese Jr.
• Other:
  • CB Emmanuel Moseley placed on Active/PUP

8/1

• Waived:
  • TE Shane Zylstra

NFL’s New Roster Deadline Approach

The NFL has simplified the roster cut process:

• Only One Deadline: Teams face just a single roster cut deadline this year.
• Deadline Details: The roster must be reduced to 53 players by Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. EST.

Wrapping Up

The Lions face hard choices leading up to Tuesday’s deadline. With Sudfeld’s injury and other ongoing evaluations, it will be a challenging period for both the players and the coaching staff. Stay tuned for more critical roster changes as the Lions prepare for the upcoming NFL season.

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For more from our Detroit Lions beat writer, Matt Broder, check him out on Twitter here: @mattbro21

Contact: Broder@woodwardsports.com

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Original Photo Credit: © Bob Donnan – USA TODAY Sports