The first of what will be 36 roster cuts by the Detroit Lions between now and Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline is complete. The Lions released veteran defensive lineman Christian Covington on Saturday. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network was the first to report the news.
Covington was the oldest member of the Detroit defense at just 29 years old. The Canadian was hoping to latch on in Detroit after prior starting stints with the Texans and Chargers.
He started out by getting some first-team reps early on, but those quickly faded into a reserve role. A healthy return from Levi Onwuzurike and the emergence of Benito Jones left the Lions with little need for Covington on the 53-man roster.
Detroit is now down to 88 players. Saivion Smith was waived with an injury designation during the week and was not replaced.