SO SAD: Detroit Lions has release their incredible defensive back…

The Detroit Lions have released defensive back Anthony Averett from their practice squad, the NFL team announced on Tuesday.

The former Alabama standout had been with Detroit for five weeks without getting into a game, even though he joined the Lions when the team was experiencing a wave of injuries in the secondary. Each NFL team can elevate two practice-squad members to active status for each game.

Averett started his 2023 season as a free-agent signee of the San Francisco 49ers. But he was released from the 49ers’ injured reserve on Aug. 18 with an injury settlement. Averett had gone on IR with an undisclosed injury on Aug. 11.

Averett joined the Lions’ practice squad on Oct. 10.

On Tuesday, Detroit released Averett and running back Devine Ozigbo while signing offensive lineman Michael Schofield and cornerback Kindle Vildor in practice-squad transactions.

Injuries also affected Averett in the 2022 season, when he had two stints on injured reserve with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Averett came out of the season-opening game on Sept. 11 with a broken thumb. He returned on Oct. 23 and had started at cornerback and free safety before going out again after six games because of a broken toe sustained on Nov. 27 in a 40-34 overtime victory against the Seattle Seahawks. He missed the remainder of the season, then stayed in free agency until Aug. 3, when the 49ers signed him.

Averett entered the NFL as a fourth-round selection of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2018 draft.

Averett spent his first three seasons largely as a reserve with the Ravens, with his defensive snaps increasing from 71 in 2018 to 220 in 2019 and 354 in 2020.

Averett moved into a starting role when Marcus Peters got hurt in the second game of the 2021 season. Averett’s performance across 14 starts in Baltimore’s defensive backfield included his three NFL interceptions and earned him a one-year, $4 million contract from Las Vegas in free agency.