DETROIT – The Detroit Lions have signed former Michigan Wolverines standout wide receiver Ronnie Bell to a reserve/future contract.
The Lions, along with 11 other players, officially made the signing official on Tuesday (Jan. 21).
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#Lions have signed the following players to Reserve/Future Contracts pic.twitter.com/c8r9oGS2zh
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 20, 2025
Bell, a seventh-round draft pick in 2023 by the San Francisco 49ers, caught eight receptions for 90 yards and three touchdowns this past season.
During his time as a Michigan Man, Bell, after sustaining an ACL tear in 2021, returned to the gridiron in 2022.
That year, he had 62 receptions for 889 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games.
#Lions have signed WR Ronnie Bell to a Reserve/Future Contract.
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 21, 2025
Bell enrolled in Michigan in 2018, and as a freshman, he had eight receptions for 145 yards and two touchdowns, including an explosive 56-yard house call to help the Wolverines take down the Nebraska Cornhuskers 56-10.
He played in 13 games again as a sophomore, snagging 48 receptions for 758 yards and one touchdown.
His most memorable play was one to forget under the lights: He dropped a game-tying touchdown in the waning seconds against the Penn State Nittany Lions in a 28-21 loss inside Beaver Stadium.
He bounced back against the Michigan State Spartans, where he set a career-high in receiving yards, with 150 and 117 in the first half.
He led the team in receptions with 48 for 758 yards and was named as an honorable mention all-conference selection by the media.
He played in six games during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. He was injured after one game in the 2021 season before helping the men in maize go undefeated, win the Big Ten East Divisional title for the second year in a row, and win the Big Ten Championship consecutively before falling to TCU in the College Football Playoff Semifinal in Arizona.
Read: New year, same results as Michigan football squanders opportunity at national championship
Bell’s return to a familiar state in front of familiar faces could potentially get his career back on the right track.
He has the chance to play alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Sam LaPorta.
