Lions bringing back safety after gambling suspension

The Lions encountered more gambling suspensions than any other team last year. This led to several cuts, Jameson Williams not debuting until October and some staff dismissals.

C.J. Moore was among the players jettisoned following a gambling suspension; the Lions cut the veteran special-teamer last April despite having re-signed him a month earlier. The team will give Moore a second chance, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport noting the sides reached an agreement on a deal Tuesday.

This comes shortly after the NFL reinstated Moore, along with four others who received bans in 2023. Moore, 28, was found to have bet on NFL games while on team grounds. 

While the Lions have moved on from the rest of their non-Williams sect of gambling policy violators — wide receivers Quintez Cephus and Stanley Berryhill and defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor — Moore had served as a key special-teamer under Matt Patricia and then Dan Campbell. The team will sign off on a second chance.

The Lions agreed to terms to re-sign Moore on a two-year, $4.5M deal in March 2023. The former UDFA out of Ole Miss saw action on between 68-78% of Detroit’s special teams plays from 2019-22. This topped out with 321 snaps in 2019, though Moore also cleared 300 ST snaps in 2021. He played more than 100 defensive snaps in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons, intercepting a pass in 2021.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson left to rejoin the Eagles in free agency, and the Lions did not draft a safety. The team used its top draft resources on corners, bringing in two — Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. — in the first two rounds. The Lions still roster safety starters Kerby Joseph and Ifeatu Melifonwu; after a memorable career hiccup, Moore stands to reprise his role as a backup in 2024.