The Lions will have a new kicker for the Week 4 game against the Seattle Seahawks in Ford Field. With regular kicker Austin Seibert ruled out with a groin injury, the Lions signed kicker Dominik Eberle from the practice squad. The Lions also signed offensive lineman Dan Skipper from the practice squad to the active roster.
Injuries to several regulars forced them to scramble just to have enough healthy bodies to play. That was compounded with the team downgrading WR DJ Chark to out for Sunday’s game.
Detroit also promoted wide receivers Tom Kennedy and Maurice Alexander from the practice squad. Chark joins fellow starting WR Amon-Ra St. Brown as being ruled out. Josh Reynolds is questionable for Sunday’s game.
To make room for Skipper and Eberle, the Lions waived TE Shane Zylstra and OL Drew Forbes.
It will be Eberle’s first appearance in a Lions uniform. The team signed the young journeyman kicker to the practice squad after the roster cutdowns. Eberle has played in exactly one NFL game, Week 8 last year for the Houston Texans when he filled in for an injured Kai’mi Fairbairn. The 26-year-old Eberle made two of his three FG attempts in that game.
Skipper has started the last two games at left guard and has played capably. Forbes has been a healthy scratch all season.