Lions add another talented UFL ahead of first preseason game

The Detroit Lions on Tuesday announced two roster moves to their team. Detroit signed running back Jacob Saylors from the UFL team, the St. Louis Battlehawks. To make room for Saylors, the Lions cut tight waive tight end Luke Deal with an injury designation.

Saylors spent time with other NFL teams before being signed by the Lions, including with the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, and Cleveland Browns. He did not play in any NFL regular season games for the three teams.

Saylors is also the second UFL player - and second Battlehawks team member - to be added by the Lions this week. Nick Whiteside, a cornerback, was added to the training camp roster after the team waived Stantley Thomas-Oliver due to injury.

Before his playing career with the Battlehawks, Saylors was a talented college running back for East Tennessee State from 2018 to 2022. In his five-year career with the Buccaneers, Saylors recorded two seasons of over 1,000 yards rushing and collected 33 total touchdowns.

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Saylors' best season with ETSU came in 2022, when he rushed for 1,317 yards and 15 touchdowns on 225 carries. Saylors has spent the last two seasons in the UFL with the Battlehawks and has seen great success. In two seasons with St. Louis, Saylors has rushed for 960 yards and 10 touchdowns.

This past spring with the Battlehawks, Saylors ranked second in the UFL in rushing in the regular season with 499 yards and five touchdowns as St. Louis finished first place in the XFL conference with an 8-2 record.

In the postseason, the Battlehawks fell to the DC Defenders 36-18 in the XFL Conference Championship game. Saylors rushed for nine carries for 45 yards and one touchdown in the loss.

Where will Saylors fit in with the Lions?

Saylors is set to join a running back room that features Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki, Jabari Small, and Kye Robichaux. Expect Saylors to see some reps for the Lions in the preseason, before Detroit decides the best way forward for him on their roster. It'll be interesting to see how Saylors pans out with the Lions compared to his three previous stops with NFL teams.

The Lions are set to take on the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night to open up the NFL preseason in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. The Lions are a little over a week into training camp, and this is one of several notable roster moves as they continue to gear up for the 2025 NFL season.

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