ALLEN PARK — Anthony Pittman has played 1,117 special teams snaps since making it with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted rookie out of Wayne State in 2019. But the linebacker and special teams ace is reportedly heading to the the Washington Commanders after not being tendered by the Lions.
Pittman was a restricted free agent who the Lions let walk into unrestricted free agency. The Detroit Free Press reported last week that there was interest in re-signing Pittman after the non-tendering decision. Other Lions players who were not tendered new deals and are free to sign elsewhere are corners Khalil Dorsey and Jerry Jacobs, and defensive back Chase Lucas, long snapper Scott Daly and defensive lineman Benito Jones.
Pittman has played 350-plus snaps on special teams in each of the previous three seasons. He’s played every game in three consecutive seasons, as well, earning two starts at linebacker along the way.
His release is a slight surprise based on the role he’s continued to hold, not to mention this franchise’s valuing of special teams. But the Lions are loaded at linebacker, and they just made Jalen Reeves-Maybin the highest-paid core special teams player in the NFL, so it starts to make a little more sense.
The Lions have Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez and Reeves-Maybin in their linebacker room. All five of those players can handle defensive reps, and it should be noted that Rodriguez showed flashes of being a special teams stud in his new role last season.
It’s also worth noting that Pittman heads to a Commanders team that just made longtime Lions executive Lance Newmark their new assistant general manager earlier this offseason. Pittman had been with the Lions since 2019.
