Detroit Lions linebacker Anthony Pittman has been the subject of praise from coaches and teammates alike over the last week.
Pittman specifically credited his improvement over the years to him being able to go up against players such as Taylor Decker, Tyrell Crosby, and Frank Ragnow. He also mentioned how watching and defending against future Hall-of-Famer Adrian Peterson helped him improve as a linebacker last season.
Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn had some praise to give about Pittman on Tuesday morning.
“One guy that really stands out is Pittman. He’s making plays on the ball. He’s running to the ball. You see the physical nature of him. There’s a lot of things about that player that I like,” Glenn said after practice.
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The next day, head coach Dan Campbell decided to join in on hyping up the young linebacker.
“He shows up everyday, and every day he does something. He can run, he’s physical, he’s young. He’s one of those guys you get really fired up about, as a young guy, developing and growing… The potential is there and he’s working really hard at it,” Campbell added.
In his press conference, Campbell spoke about not knowing much about Pittman when he first arrived but hearing good things from coaches who had worked with him over the years. After speaking with the young linebacker about his role, both came to the conclusion that he should move back to his natural position on the inside.
Pittman played middle linebacker since his days at Wylie E. Groves High School in the Detroit suburb of Beverly Hills and continued to excel in that role at Wayne State. Once he arrived in Detroit, the coaching staff asked him to put on some weight and play the outside linebacker/pass rush position.
While he did not seem to struggle in a new position, Pittman, Campbell, and the new coaching staff all knew that he’d be a better player at middle linebacker, and that seemed to pay off.
The third-year player and Detroit-area native started the week strong with an interception on a pass from David Blough to Tom Kennedy. Throughout the week, he managed to almost snag two more. His hard work and determination has shown as the praise from his coaches continues to roll in.
Coming out of Wayne State as an undrafted free agent in 2019, it was an uphill battle for Pittman to even stick around the league. With an impressive preseason that year that had him see the field for a vast majority of defensive snaps, he earned a place on the practice squad.
Matt Patricia and his defensive staff raved about the young linebacker and their faith in him showed when he earned a call-up to the active roster for the Week 17 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. In that game, Pittman only took 17 defensive snaps but made the most of them by getting a hit on Aaron Rodgers and recording one tackle.
In his second season, he remained on the practice squad for the entirety of the year. Now year three, he’s reunited with one of his former high school coaches, DeOn’tae Pannell, and is back to playing his natural position at inside linebacker.
He is in competition with players such as Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Shaun Dion Hamilton, Jahlani Tavai, and Tavante Beckett for a reserve linebacker role this season. The practice squad could still be a potential landing spot for Pittman, but as the constant flow of praise keeps coming in from this coaching staff, it’s too early to count him out from making the 53-man roster this fall.