Lions, Colts to hold joint practices prior to Week 1 of preseason

The Detroit Lions announced on Wednesday morning that they will participate in joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts this offseason.

The Lions and Colts will also face off at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 1 of the preseason, and though the date and time have yet to be announced, the game will fall sometime between Aug. 10 and Aug. 14. The joint practices will lead up to that game.

This joint practice comes just a year after the Lions traveled to Latrobe, Pennsylvania to participate in a week of practices with the Steelers prior to their preseason game. After the two sessions with the Steelers, Lions head coach Jim Caldwell seemed very pleased with the trip. “I can’t tell you how valuable having an opportunity to work against a team, a very good football team, obviously,” Caldwell said last year.

Last year marked the first time the Lions had joint practices with another team since 2000.

This will be a unique experience for Jim Caldwell, who is more than familiar with the Colts training facility. Caldwell served on the Colts’ coaching squad for ten years, starting as the team’s quarterback coach in 2002 and finishing as the team’s head coach in 2011.

The team did not release any specific details on the date and time of the practices, nor whether the joint sessions will be available to the Indianapolis public.

UPDATE: Dave Birkett has the details, including the date of Detroit’s first preseason game: