Detroit Lions

USC is still in search of a permanent head football coach after firing Clay Helton earlier this season, but the school has yet to find its top candidate. The Trojans might scratch one more name off of their list.

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn dismissed rumors of being linked to the USC job opening on Thursday.

"No, I haven't spoken with USC at all," Lynn said. "My focus is 1 million percent right here with the Detroit Lions."

Lynn's name began floating around earlier this week after Jim Trotter of NFL Network reported that USC boosters reached out to the former Los Angeles Chargers head coach. Trotter also reported that Lynn would be interested in the position.

"My sister graduated from USC. I have half my family’s in California," Lynn said Thursday. "A lot of guys I played with went to USC, so of course those guys have talked to me and that’s flattering."

Lynn, a former NFL running back, went 33-31 in four seasons at the helm of the Chargers. He coached Los Angeles to a Wild Card win on the road in his second season for his lone playoff win. Lynn was fired by the Chargers after going 7-9 last season, despite ending the year with a four-game win streak.

Lynn was asked whether he would consider taking the USC job after the end of this season but he said he hasn't looked that far ahead, saying, "Right now, I don’t even have enough time in the day to think about something like that, you know?"

Detroit is currently 0-3 and has the 21st-ranked scoring offense in the NFL. Despite the early-season woes, Lynn reiterated that he's fully committed to the Lions and he's focused on his job as offensive coordinator.

"I love what coach [Dan] Campbell and [GM] Brad Holmes are doing, the Ford family, and I love the grit in our players, I love this fan base," Lynn said. "We want to win for these people and we’re going to build a consistent winner here, but this is where my focus is right now."     

The Detroit Lions announced on Tuesday that they have released linebacker Jamie Collins.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported last week that the Lions were looking into trading Collins:

Collins was benched for Detroit's 17-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday, as Derrick Barnes started and split time with Jalen Reeves-Maybin, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters Monday that the team was still looking into a trade.

"We’re still working on it right now," he said. "That’s still in the works."

Per Birkett, Campbell had said last Thursday that the Lions had "suitors" for Collins and were hoping to have a trade done "sooner than later."

However, it appears the Lions didn't find any takers, leading to Collins becoming a free agent.

Per Over the Cap, Collins entered 2021 in the second season of a three-year, $30 million deal that includes voidable years from 2023-25 as part of a restructuring.

Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire provided more information on the move last March:

"Collins converted $7.925M of his 2021 salary and bonuses into a straight signing bonus.

"The maneuver clears $6.34M of cap space in 2021 for the Lions. To help avoid swallowing a bigger poison pill, the Lions added three voidable seasons to the end of the contract.

"It will cost the team dead cap money during those years, but the expected rise of the cap makes that much more palatable than stuffing it all into 2021. The 2023-2025 seasons void automatically."

Ultimately, this didn't turn out to be a great deal for the Lions, who are parting ways after just 16 games, per ESPN's Bill Barnwell:

Collins is in his ninth NFL season. He's had two stints with the New England Patriots (2013-16, 2019), and those buffered a run with the Cleveland Browns from 2016-18. He joined the Lions in 2020.

The 31-year-old led the league with five forced fumbles in 2015, his lone Pro Bowl year. He has had 100 or more tackles in four years and registered a career-high seven sacks in 2019.

Entering the season, Collins had 676 tackles (435 solo, 241 assisted), 50 quarterback hits, 25.5 sacks, 19 forced fumbles, 36 pass breakups and 11 interceptions. He's added 10 tackles this year.

The Pats selected the former Southern Miss star with the No. 52 overall pick in the 2013 draft.

The Detroit Lions are reportedly looking into potential defensive changes after their 0-2 start.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Detroit is "exploring" moving linebacker Jamie Collins Sr. in part because it is "going young" at the linebacker position.

Collins turns 32 years old next month and will apparently cede playing time to rookie Derrick Barnes:

Detroit signed Collins to a three-year deal prior to the 2020 campaign, and he tallied 101 tackles, three forced fumbles, one sack, one fumble recovery and one interception in 14 games during his first season with the team.

That he was productive wasn't a surprise considering he was a Pro Bowler in 2015 and won two Super Bowls during his time on the New England Patriots.

The Southern Miss product played for the Patriots from 2013 until they traded him to the Cleveland Browns during the 2016 season. He played with Cleveland through the 2018 campaign and then rejoined the Patriots for the 2019 season.

Collins appeared in each of Detroit's first two games this season and posted 10 tackles and one fumble recovery.

Jeff Risdon of USA Today's Lions Wire noted the linebacker missed Wednesday's practice for "not injury related" reasons.

Detroit appears well on the way to a rebuilding season after losing to the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers in the opening two weeks. It follows then that it is already looking toward younger players at the expense of a veteran like Collins.

A contender could see his experience and versatility as someone who can rush the passer and look to make a move in the coming weeks.

Detroit Lions receiver Tyrell Williams remains in the concussion protocol and will miss Monday's game against the Green Bay Packers, head coach Dan Campbell said Saturday.

Williams was forced to leave his team's first game against the San Francisco 49ers early after taking a hard hit in the third quarter.

San Francisco safety Jaquiski Tartt picked up a 15-yard personal foul penalty on the play.

Williams finished with just two catches for 14 yards in the 41-33 loss.

Kalif Raymond saw the most playing time at receiver last game and could see a bigger role with Williams unavailable, while Amon-Ra St. Brown, Trinity Benson and Quintez Cephus all played at least 30 snaps last week, per Pro Football Reference. Each player could step up in Week 2, although the offense will likely run through T.J. Hockenson and running backs D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams.

The inexperience in the receiving corps meant a large projected role for Williams, the only proven player on the roster entering the season.

The 29-year-old signed a one-year deal with Detroit in the offseason after totaling 42 catches for 651 yards and six touchdowns with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020. It was his fourth straight season with at least 600 receiving yards, with the previous three coming with the Chargers.

Williams had his best season in 2016 with 1,059 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 69 catches. 

Detroit was looking for similar production from the veteran in 2021, but the team will have to wait for a return to the field.   

Calvin Johnson says he can't repair his relationship with the Detroit Lions until the team repays him the $1.6 million he believes he is still owed.

The Hall of Fame receiver discussed the problem with Graham Bensinger:

"I'm not saying they got to repay me the $1.6 [million] all up front, but they need to figure out a way to do it and not have me work for it, because I already did the work for it," Johnson said, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Johnson was forced to repay $1.6 million of his signing bonus after retiring in 2015. The Lions offered to pay him $500,000 annually on a three-year deal to recoup the lost money, but he would be obligated to make appearances for the team, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. 

The proposed deal included a 28-hour commitment in the first year, including appearances at training camp and taking part in VIP and sponsored events.

A $100,000 donation to a charity of Johnson's choice would then complete the transaction, but he declined the deal.

"It’s the principle of it," Johnson told Bensinger. "You cannot have me back unless you put that money back in my pocket. ...I’m not working for it."

Johnson was one of the biggest superstars in Lions history, earning six Pro Bowl selections across his nine seasons while being named first-team All-Pro three times. His 1,964 receiving yards in 2012 still ranks as the best single season in NFL history.

The receiver then retired abruptly when he was just 30 years old, with the financial disagreement causing a rift between the Lions and himself.

The Lions also had a feud with star running back Barry Sanders over money, but that issue has since been resolved.   

Detroit Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah will miss the remainder of the 2021 season after suffering a ruptured Achilles in Sunday's loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the results of an MRI that confirmed the diagnosis. 

Odukah went down in the fourth quarter after a frustrating performance in which he got beat by Deebo Samuel for a long touchdown and got yelled at by secondary coach Aubrey Pleasant for a mistake on a 49ers rushing touchdown. 

"It was just, I would say for Jeff, it was an up-and-down game," Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters. "He flashes on a few plays, you’re like, 'Whoa, OK, there he is,' and next thing you know, it’s something happens. That’s—and I don’t want to make excuses, but at the same time, he’s in Year 2. And he made some young errors, is what he did."

Okudah, the No. 3 pick in the 2020 draft, was coming off a highly disappointing rookie season during which he allowed a 77.4 percent completion rate. Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of 42.5 last season, which was one of the worst marks in the league.

Injuries have also already been a major part of Okudah's NFL story. The Ohio State product played only nine games last season because of hamstring, shoulder and groin injuries, and he will now miss the final 16 games of the 2021 campaign. 

Two years into his career, Okudah has yet to live up to his predraft expectations.

Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker will reportedly miss the start of the 2021 NFL season after being placed on short-term injured reserve.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Decker underwent finger surgery and will miss about a month.

Decker has been Detroit's starting left tackle in each of his first five seasons.

With Decker set to miss at least the first few weeks of the season, Matt Nelson is likely to serve as his replacement. He is one of only three offensive tackles on the active roster along with Decker and rookie first-round pick Penei Sewell.

The 25-year-old Nelson, who was signed by Detroit as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa in 2019, spent his first year on the practice squad and was active for all 16 games last season, making one start.

Decker was selected 16th overall by the Lions in the 2016 draft out of Ohio State. Since entering the league, he has started all 71 games he has appeared in.

While Decker missed eight games in 2017, he has been durable, missing only one game combined in the other four seasons.

Decker was slated to protect the blind side of new starting quarterback Jared Goff, who was acquired during the offseason as part of the trade that sent veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams.

In addition to keeping Goff clean, Nelson will be tasked with paving the way for running backs D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams.

The first test for the Decker-less Lions will come Sunday when Detroit hosts the San Francisco 49ers.

Detroit Lions running back D'Andre Swift is reportedly not being investigated for a murder that took place in Philadelphia, despite internet speculation that began on Thursday. 

"That's just internet rumors I don't feel I need to comment on right now," Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters on Friday. 

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, who stated the network did "extensive reporting" on the subject over the past two days, tweeted "sources have indicated Swift is not under investigation." 

Dave Kluge of Fantasy Pros reported Philadelphia police received an anonymous tip more than two months ago that implicated Swift in a murder case, but the officer he spoke to said the Lions back was not being investigated. 

Kluge did write in a follow-up tweet that the officer he spoke with about the tip "laughed and said that D'Andre Swift or any other NFL players was not being investigated for murder."

Multiple reporters, including Garafolo and Benjamin Allbright of KOA Newsradio in Denver, have also followed up and found that Swift is not being investigated. 

There has been no reporting on details from the tip that reportedly implicated Swift.

Swift is entering his second season with the Lions. The 22-year-old was a second-round draft pick by the team last year after a three-year stint at the University of Georgia.