The Detroit Lions released linebacker Joe Bachie on Tuesday, ending a brief second stint on the active roster and another chapter in a seven-year NFL career that began in 2020, via the NFL transaction wire.
The move came as part of a pair of corresponding transactions. Detroit signed rookie safety Bishop Fitzgerald off the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice squad and placed safety Avonte Maddox on injured reserve with a season-ending foot injury suffered in Week 2 against Buffalo. The Lions were left with 52 players on the 53-man roster after the cuts.
Bachie, 28, a former Michigan State captain from Brook Park, Ohio, signed with Detroit as an unrestricted free agent on April 29.
The 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker was released on Aug. 30 during final roster cuts, immediately re-signed to the practice squad, and promoted back to the active roster on Sept. 7. He did not record a statistic in limited action this season.
The former Spartan entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the New Orleans Saints in 2020 after four seasons at Michigan State, where he posted 284 tackles, eight sacks, and five interceptions.
He appeared in four games with the Philadelphia Eagles as a rookie, then spent four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals (2021–24). In 2025 he started five games for the Indianapolis Colts before a toe injury, later finishing the year with the Tennessee Titans.
Career totals through 2025: 66 games, seven starts, 77 tackles, and two passes defended, plus consistent special-teams work.
Detroit signed Bachie as depth after Alex Anzalone left in free agency. The Lions had already re-signed Malcolm Rodriguez and Trevor Nowaske, added Damone Clark, and drafted Jimmy Rolder.
Bachie was viewed as a special-teams and reserve option rather than a featured defender. Coach Dan Campbell had spoken positively about him during camp, which made the August cut a surprise to some Michigan State followers; the September promotion suggested a short-term need that no longer exists.
The timing reflects Detroit’s priority in the secondary. Starting safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch began the season on the physically unable to perform list. Maddox’s injury further thinned the group.
Fitzgerald, a consensus All-American at USC last season with five interceptions and elite coverage grades, gives the Lions a young ballhawk they could “poach,” as Campbell previewed. Veteran Jalen Mills was also added to the practice squad a day earlier.
For Bachie, the release is familiar. He has bounced among practice squads and short-term contracts since leaving Cincinnati.
A reliable special-teams contributor with starting experience, he remains a candidate to land elsewhere or return to Detroit’s practice squad if the Lions keep a spot open. At this stage of his career, durability and special-teams value will decide the next stop.
The Lions (1-1) host the New York Jets this week still searching for stability in the back end of the defense. Bachie’s departure is a reminder that roster spots remain fluid when injuries force positional trades.
