On Tuesday, the Detroit Lions announced another transaction in anticipation of the 2026 NFL season and to continue filling out its 90-man roster for the offseason.
The Lions signed former Cincinnati Bengals center Seth McLaughlin to a Reserve/Future contract. The 6-foot-4, 304-pound center just completed his rookie season in the NFL, but did not see any game action with the Bengals.
Signed as an undrafted free agent, McLaughlin was waived by the Bengals last August as part of the organization’s 53-man roster cuts. McLaughlin was then re-signed by the franchise to the Bengals’ practice squad, where he spent the entirety of the 2025 season.
McLaughlin played his final collegiate season at Ohio State, where he started the first 10 games of the season for the Buckeyes en route to being named the recipient of the Rimington Trophy as college football’s most outstanding center. McLaughlin was a consensus All-American as well.
During his college career, McLaughlin started 34 games and played in 45. Prior to joining Ohio State via the NCAA transfer portal, McLaughlin started 24 games over three seasons with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
McLaughlin ruptured his Achilles tendon during a Buckeyes practice in late November of 2024. At the time of his injury, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. rated McLaughlin as the eighth-best center among prospects for the 2025 NFL draft.
McLaughlin joins a group of nine players that the Lions signed to Reserve/Futures contracts on Monday.
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