Darren Fells Waived After Asking Lions To Set Him Free

The Detroit Lions may be contemplating releasing their entire team, but for now, they'll have to settle for releasing tight end Darren Fells.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Fells actually asked to be waived. Given the Lions' 0-8 record, you can hardly blame the guy.

It's also understandable given that Fells is 35 years old, and the Lions have a long way to go. At his age, Fells is ready for the NFL rocking chair. But as Rapoport noted, he could still provide some help for a contending team in need of a tight end.

Detroit, on the other hand, is in need of a whole lot of everything.

Anyway, back to Fells and his options. He remains a viable option for adding depth, experience and blocking.

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1457754974017003525

So some team very well could claim him off the waiver wire within the next 24 hours. If not, he'll be free to sign anywhere he wishes. That second scenario seems considerably more likely.

Hopefully for Fells' sake, he'll make a better choice than last time when he signed with the Lions in May. It actually served as his second stint with the perennial NFC bottom dwellers, as he also signed with them back in 2017.

He since served stints with the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans -- and even compiled 34 catches for 341 yards and seven touchdowns with the Texans in 2019, his most-productive season.

This season, he has started in each of his five appearances, but most people probably didn't notice he was even on the field. (Actually, most people probably didn't watch the Lions to begin with.)

Fells has compiled just four catches for a total of 43 yards, but may be able to be more productive in an offense that, you know, can move the ball regularly.

Or as Zachary Links of Pro Football Rumors wrote, Fells is "hoping to see more action with a winning team. Or, at least, a team with a single win."

Written by
Sam Amico spent 15 years covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated, FOX Sports and NBA.com, along with a few other spots, and currently runs his own basketball website on the side, FortyEightMinutes.com.