The Detroit Lions just earned a big boost for a 2025 draft pick who may need more time adjusting to the NFL.
The team had petitioned the NFL for a roster exemption for edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein, who spent his rookie season on the practice squad without ever getting a call-up to the active roster. The league granted the request, giving the Lions a key roster advantage for the upcoming season.
Lions Earn Extra Roster Spot for Upcoming Season
As Vito Chirco of SI.com reported, the Lions requested the NFL to consider Hassanein part of the International Pathways Program.
“The International Player Pathway Program â established in 2017 â is designed for players born outside the United States and Canada, who have played no more than two years of high school football in the U.S., to get a chance in the NFL,” Chirco wrote. “As a result of this international player exemption, the Lions will enter training camp with 91Â open roster spots instead of the traditional 90.”
The Lions argued that Chirco played one of his years of high school football during COVID-19, asking for an exemption to consider that a lost year. The NFL granted the request, making the Egyptian-born Hassanein eligible to be part of the program.
The exemption means that Hassanein can remain on the practice squad as an extra player, though he would not be eligible to play in any games this season.
“If Hassanein makes the team’s season-opening 53-man roster, then the roster exemption goes by the wayside and the EDGE defender is treated just like any other player,” Chirco wrote. “However, if he fails to make the 53-man roster this summer and ends up on the practice squad, the Lions would obtain a 17th practice squad spot.”
Ahmed Hassanein Not Expected to Make Final Roster
The exemption could give Hassanein a chance to further develop after a rocky rookie season. He suffered a pectoral injury during training camp and was waived with an injury settlement. Hassanein returned to the Lions in November and remained on the practice squad, later earning a reserve/future contract to return this offseason.
As Chirco noted, Hassanein appears to be on the wrong side of the roster bubble as training camp approaches.
“Yet, he failed to play a single snap with Dan Campbell’s squad in 2025, and now could be on the outside looking in after Detroit upgraded its EDGE room this offseason via the acquisitions of veteran D.J. Wonnum and rookie Derrick Moore,” Chirco wrote.
Tim Twentyman, reporter for the team’s official website, noted that the Lions could rely more heavily on newly signed DJ Wonnum and draft pick Derrick Moore to improve their pass rush.
“Detroit added Wonnum in free agency and Moore in the NFL Draft and like what both bring to the table,” Twentyman wrote. “It will be interesting to see how their unique skillsets fit in Kelvin Sheppard’s defense.”
Twentyman added that the Lions could need more help for Aidan Hutchinson, despite their strong production last season.
“While Detroit’s 49 sacks were the fourth most in the NFL last year, Detroit’s average time to pressure of 2.92 seconds was the slowest in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats,” Twentyman wrote. “It wasn’t always the kind of pressure that affected the timing of opponent passing attacks as opposing quarterbacks finished with a 92.5 rating against Detroit’s defense, which ranked 19th.”
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