The Lions have placed defensive lineman Joel Heath on injured reserve, per a club announcement. This was the expected move after Heath suffered a torn ACL while working out at the Lions’ facility earlier this week.
Heath, a Michigan State product, went undrafted in 2016 and signed his first deal with the Texans. He went on to appear in 32 games for Houston, including 16 starts. Then, the Broncos claimed him toward the end of 2019 and re-upped him in 2020, but he didn’t see any action in Denver and opted out of the 2020 season.
Heath hooked on with the Lions earlier this year with the hope that he would crack the defensive line rotation. Unfortunately, he suffered a freak injury midway through a bag drill on Wednesday. Now, he’ll focus on recovery with an eye on 2022.
The Lions’ revamped 3-4 scheme will feature newcomer Michael Brockers plus Day 2 rookie DLs Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill. Meanwhile, Romeo Okwara and Trey Flowers will be shifted to outside linebacker.
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