DETROIT – The Detroit Lions have signed defensive end Isaiah Thomas off the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad after Aidan Hutchinson’s season-ending injury.
ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler announced the signing on Tuesday (Oct. 15).
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#Lions plan to sign defensive end Isaiah Thomas off the Bengals practice squad, per source. Former Browns draft pick gives Detroit some much-needed edge rush help.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 15, 2024
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When Detroiters hear the name Isiah Thomas, their first thought shifts to the Detroit Pistons’ glory days in the late 80s and early 90s, when the leader of the Bad Boys led his NBA franchise to back-to-back championships.
The devastating news of the former Michigan Wolverines star and NFL leading sack-getter in Hutchinson and his gruesome leg injury in Sunday’s 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys brought the joy of victory and the agony of defeat.
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 14, 2024
The Lions announced that he had successful surgery and would be expected to be out for four to six months, so the signing of Thomas, 25, seems like a perfect fit until the trade deadline.
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The former Cleveland Browns pass rusher was a seventh-round pick out of Oklahoma for the Sooners in the 2022 NFL draft.
During his rookie season, he played in 10 regular-season games for the Browns, accumulating nine tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery, and two pass defenses.
He didn’t make the cut for Cleveland in 2023, so he signed with the Bengals before being waived ahead of the 2024 season.
Thomas will join the 4-1 Lions ahead of Sunday’s NFC North first-place battle with the 5-0 Minnesota Vikings.
The 25-year-old will Alim McNeill, who has 2.5 sacks in five games, and Levi Onwuzurike, who has 1.5 sacks this season.
They will be joined by Josh Paschal and James Houston, the Lions’ top two edge rushers who have not recorded a sack this season.
