On February 20, safety Tracy Walker, one of the defensive players with the longest tenure with the Detroit Lions, announced his retirement.
Walker’s release by the Lions is intended to free up approximately $5.5 million in salary space, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
In the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Walker was selected by the Lions at pick No. 82 overall. The 29-year-old has never participated in competition for another team.
Walker started 43 of the 79 games he played for the Lions in six seasons. With 16 tackles for loss and 7 quarterback hits, he totaled 398 tackles. In addition, he recorded 2 forced fumbles, 4 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 23 pass defenses.
Walker started six games in 2023 before switching to special teams in Week 14.
Walker was cut by the Lions a day after Matt Okada of NFL.com listed the safety as one of the possible NFC roster cuts.
The Detroit Lions’ pass rush was frequently a source of inconsistent play in 2023, despite the team making some notable defensive gains.
According to USA Today’s Jeff Risdon, the Lions are expected to make changes to their edge-rushing group this summer.
A three-time Pro Bowler would make sense as a backup for star Aidan Hutchinson.
Za’Darius Smith, a former edge rusher for the Cleveland Browns, might be a “under-the-radar” addition to the Lions this summer to help replace some of the veteran leadership that the team will be losing, according to Risdon.
