Lions release ex-Pro Bowl LB Jamie Collins after no trade develops

The Detroit Lions were hoping to trade veteran and 2015 Pro Bowl linebacker Jamie Collins. Unfortunately for Detroit, every other team knew Collins was out of favor and, thus, could soon be released and made a free agent. 

As Eric Woodyard of ESPN and Chase Goodbread of the NFL's website noted, that release occurred on Tuesday. 

Collins tallied 10 total tackles, a fumble recovery, a tackle for a loss and one quarterback hit over Detroit's first two games, both losses, before head coach Dan Campbell elected to play younger players and shop the 31-year-old.

"I think we've been through two games now and you make your assessment and your judgment after two games and that's where we're at," Campbell explained last week before Collins was deactivated ahead of this past Sunday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. "There again, we felt like it was, if you're going to grow and you're going to try to get better as a team, as a unit, everything, you better do it now.

"There again, I think this is best for Jamie as well. He gets a chance to go somewhere and do what he does and we're just in a different place."

Collins previously had two successful stints with the New England Patriots and is free to join that organization or any other club. He has accumulated 25.5 career sacks since 2013, and he tallied seven of those with New England in 2019.