With a number of players returning on reserve or future contracts, including a multi-sport great who has played for the Detroit Lions multiple times, the team is beginning to make plans for 2024.
Ten players were invited back by the Lions to fight for roster spots for the upcoming season, as reported by Jeff Risdon of USA Today. Tom Kennedy, a wide receiver who has been on and off the Detroit roster since 2019, was among the group. Kennedy returned to the practice squad during the last campaign.
Tom Kennedy Goes Back to Detroit
Kennedy was added to the practice squad by the Lions on November 29, providing more depth following the departure of veteran Marvin Jones Jr. for a personal reason. Initially signed as an undrafted free agent in 2019, he played parts of five seasons for the Lions, totaling 14 receptions for 195 yards.
Kennedy was waived in August after receiving an injury settlement, CBS Sports, but he had joined the team for training camp the previous summer.
Kennedy, who played football and lacrosse at Bryant University, gained notoriety as a multi-sport athlete in college, according to ESPN.
After being selected by the Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse in the 2018 draft, Kennedy experienced professional sports for the first time. Kennedy became the first player to play in both the NFL and a professional lacrosse league when he signed with the Lions the following season.
Kennedy’s popularity among Lions supporters improved, as Christian Booher of SI.com pointed out, following his spectacular 75-yard touchdown pass to Kalif Raymond in the 2021 season finale and his continued success in the preseason of 2022.
