The Detroit Lions have shown time and again their commitment to veteran tight end Brock Wright. But Fansided’s Sideline Report’s Brad Berreman still isn’t convinced Wright will be on the team’s roster this fall.
Berreman argued Wright could be gone in Detroit before training camp.
On May 31, Berreman included the veteran tight end on a list of four potential cut candidates to end offseason workouts. Moving on from Wright could yield the team cap savings, but the Lions analyst sees Wright possibly on the chopping block because of the depth the team has built at tight end.
That includes undrafted rookie Miles Kitselman.
“Tyler Conklin was signed as a free agent to be the Lions’ No. 2 tight end behind Sam LaPorta. Undrafted rookie tight end Miles Kitselman may have an opportunity to steal a roster spot, rooted in his blocking ability as a differentiator,” wrote Berreman.
“Wright feels ripe to be a post-June 1 cut, when $3.58 million of his $4.734 million cap hit would become cap savings for this year. Three void years in his contract after this year, with related dead money, could be a thing. But counting this year, that dead money amount totals a reasonable $3.9 million.
Berreman added the Lions could try to trade Wright. However, he sees Detroit simply releasing the tight end more plausible.
Wright has played five NFL seasons, all with the Lions. In 69 games, he has posted 70 catches, 632 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.
Could Lions Part Ways With Brock Wright?
GettyFansided’s SideLion Report’s Brad Berreman called tight end Brock Wright a potential cut candidate for the Detroit Lions.
Wright would be somewhat of a surprise roster cut for the Lions. Even Berreman admitted that.
Two years ago, the Lions matched an offer sheet Wright received from the San Francisco 49ers to prevent the tight end from departing. To keep him long term, the Lions inked Wright to a 3-year, $12 million deal.
However, it’s hard not to argue Wright hasn’t underachieved as a pass-catcher. He’s never reached the 220-receiving yards mark or caught 20 passes in a season.
Berreman was critical of Wright’s blocking ability as well. At Pro Football Focus, Wright registered below average run blocking and pass protection grades once again in 2025. He’s been average in those categories just once — pass blocking during 2023.
With that in mind, the Lions could elect small cap savings instead of keeping Wright. A post-June 1 release with Wright would save Detroit $3.58 million.
Lions TE Depth at 2026 NFL Offseason Workouts
GettyThe Detroit Lions signed undrafted tight end Miles Kitselman this offseason.
More than the cap savings, though, the Lions could potentially part with Wright to prioritize other tight ends on their roster.
Pro Bowler Sam LaPorta should return healthy this fall. The Lions also signed veteran Tyler Conklin in NFL free agency.
Those two tight ends could push Wright into a No. 3 role during 2026. However, the Lions could prefer Kitselman with that job.
A former Tennessee tight end, Kitselman could bring Day 3 draft value to Detroit as an undrafted free agent.
“Kitselman has good size and will play as a connected tight end on the next level,” wrote NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. “He needs to play with better hand placement and pad level, but he’s willing to put in work in-line or as a move blocker.
“He has above-average play speed in space and showed an ability to run a variety of routes. [Kitselman] has enough speed to stress man coverage into the second level.”
The Lions will probably keep Wright on their roster throughout the summer to see how the rest of their tight ends progress. But in theory, Detroit moving on from Wright could come at any time because we’re past the June 1 date.
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