Lions Sign Robert Malone, Put Jason Fox On Injured Reserve

The Detroit Lions just announced that they have signed punter Robert Malone. To make room on the roster for him, offensive tackle Jason Fox was placed on injured reserve.

Malone is a second-year player from Fresno State. He entered the league a year ago as an undrafted free agent and appeared in 12 games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, averaging 41.5 yards per punt.

With starting punter Ryan Donahue dealing with a quad injury, it was necessary for the Lions to sign someone else for Sunday. Donahue got hurt trying to kick earlier this week when it was unclear if Jason Hanson will be ready to go on Sunday. It now looks like Hanson will play, but now Donahue could be out (at least as the punter; he could potentially still be the holder).

Fox hasn't played at all this year after breaking his foot in training camp. He took a while to recover from the injury, and Dave Birkett reports that Fox was limping at practice yesterday. Perhaps he reinjured his foot, or perhaps the Lions simply needed to clear a roster spot and it was clear Fox wouldn't be on the field in the near future. In any case, his season is over.