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Former Detroit Lions tight end Joseph Fauria hasn’t been on an NFL roster since 2015, when he briefly spent time on the Patriots and Cardinals practice squads. But the charismatic tight end could be close to a comeback in the NFL.
In an Instagram post from Monday evening, Fauria seemed to imply that he’s close to a return to the NFL:
The caption reads:
Received good news recently. Nothing to jump out your seat, but definitely something good enough to make me proud of the work I've put in this year. Guys who get out of the League tend to not make it back. But I have a new found respect for the game that slipped away from me. In addition to a better grasp of humility and understanding of the real world. I know what the hell I want and with my close circle of friends, family and God, I'm gunna F*cking make it happen! Stick with me y'all - I know it's been a bumpy ride, but I AM NOT DONE YET!!! #SpeakItIntoExistence
At this point, there is no indication which team is interested in Fauria or whether a signing is imminent. Fauria was not listed on the NFL’s list of transactions on Monday.
But this comeback is a long time coming. Fauria has been detailing his hard work and desire to return to the NFL all offseason via social media, posting videos of tireless workouts on a near-daily basis.
Fauria’s career got off to a booming start with the Detroit Lions in 2013. As an undrafted rookie, Fauria took the league by storm, pulling in five touchdowns in the first six games of his career. However, Fauria’s role would diminish week-by-week until he was eventually he was off the team by 2014.
It was striking to see Fauria’s career fade away so quickly, and many theorized that Fauria wasn’t ready for the NFL mentally. Fauria acknowledges he has since discovered “a new found [sic] respect for the game,” and has “a better grasp of humility and understanding of the real world” in the Instagram post above.
Now we’ll wait and see if Fauria can parlay this chance into a revitalized NFL career. Whether it’s with the Lions or another team, we wish him the best of luck.