ALLEN PARK — Veteran journeyman tight end Anthony Firkser was released by the Kansas City Chief following the 2025 NFL draft.
Firkser appeared in five games with the Detroit Lions in 2023. The Harvard alum played a role in the team’s run to the NFC title game that season, playing all three playoff games after carving out a late-season role.
The 30-year-old tight end has played for the Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, Chiefs and Lions during his seven-year NFL career. Firkser has 115 catches for 1,207 yards and five touchdowns during his career. His lone catch with the Lions went for 8 yards came in that memorable playoff run.
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The Lions have a stable situation at tight end, with Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright back for another year as the team’s one-two punch. LaPorta is the pass-catching rising star and Wright is the trusted glue piece who handles most of the dirty work.
Shane Zylstra is back after earning the TE3 role along the way last season. The Lions also added tight end Kenny Yeboah during free agency. Yeboah spent the first four years of his career with the New York Jets. He brings some power to the room at 6-foot-3, 250 pounds.
Detroit didn’t draft a tight end. But the team added a couple of offseason options to kick the tires on during undrafted free agency following last weekend’s draft, including Caden Prieskorn (Ole Miss) and Zach Horton (Indiana)