Lions Granted Roster Exemption For DE Ahmed Hassanein

Hassanein, 23, was a sixth-round pick by the Lions in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Boise State. He was born in California but later moved to Cairo, Egypt, with his father.

He returned to the United States to Anaheim to live with his brother and became the first player of Egyptian heritage to ever be selected in the NFL Draft.

He signed a four-year, $4,429,892 rookie contract but was waived near the end of camp with an injury settlement.

In his collegiate career, Hassanein appeared in 47 games over four seasons for Boise State and recorded 120 total tackles and 23.5 sacks.