ALLEN PARK — TThe Detroit Lions waived tight end Hayden Rucci and claimed veteran safety Jalen Mills via waivers in the corresponding move.

Rucci was one of the two tight ends on the 53-man roster. The Lions claimed him last week via the Miami Dolphins, but Rucci was a healthy scratch for the win over the Dallas Cowboys due to the quick turnaround.

Now, the Lions have Anthony Firkser as the only tight end on the main roster. Brock Wright (neck) and Sam LaPorta (back surgery) are on injured reserve, testing the team’s depth at tight end, which is quite a challenge.

Rucci’s departure comes one day after the Lions waived veteran tight end Ross Dwelley, too. They have leaned on Firkser in recent weeks, with more work for offensive tackle Dan Skipper for more heavy-set looks. Shane Zylstra has also been back at practice, and the Lions hope to see him on the field against the Los Angeles Rams this weekend.

“I know what he is, we know what he is,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said of Firkser. “He’s a smart guy, he’s pretty crafty, savvy in the pass game, can do a lot of different jobs, and so can Zylstra. So, we know what those guys kind of deliver and then Skip is our kind of de-facto tight end two that we use.

“But got a lot of trust in Firk and Shane.”

Mills helps fill the team’s depth in the short-handed defensive backfield. Brian Branch is out for the season after undergoing surgery for an Achilles injury. Cornerback Terrion Arnold is out for the season, too, and safety Kerby Joseph has missed seven straight games. On top of that, Thomas Harper remains in concussion protocol after starting in place of Joseph.

The 31-year-old safety and one-time Super Bowl champion has played only four games this season in Houston. He played nine for the New York Jets in 2024 after spending three seasons in New England and five in Philadelphia. Milles has played 119 games and started 92 times across his 10 seasons in the league.

Mills has only played 48 defensive snaps this season, so it’s hard to get a feel for how he’ll play into the rotation with Joseph and Harper trying to get back, along with Avonte Maddox playing well with his turn on the back end. The Lions also added veteran safety Damontae Kazee to their practice squad earlier this week, bringing some experience to fill those gaps.