The Detroit Lions have signed linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe, the team announced on Tuesday.
Iyiegbuniwe is the third linebacker the Lions have signed in the past 10 days, joining Abraham Beauplan and Ty Summers. Malik Jefferson—who himself was added just three weeks ago—suffered a finger injury during Saturday’s preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs, and was subsequently placed on injured reserve. Wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith also was placed on injured reserve.
As for Iyiegbuniwe, he was drafted by the Chicago Bears back in 2018. In his four years with the Bears, he made 58 game appearances, nearly exclusively as a four-phase special teamer. In 2022, he joined the Carolina Panthers and, again, played on special teams in seven contests. After a year off, Iyiegbuniwe spent his 2024 spring with the San Antonio Bahamas in the UFL. He played a total of 56 defensive snaps for the team and an additional 131 on special teams.
With just over a week until the NFL roster cutdown deadline (August 27), Iyiegbuniwe faces an uphill climb to make an impression and give himself a shot at the 53-man roster or the practice squad. That being said, there could be an LB6 job available after Anthony Pittman left in free agency. That role is predominantly a special teams role, which is exactly what Iyiegbuniwe thrives at. He’ll have to beat out Ben Niemann, Beauplan, and Summers for that spot.
