Report: Detroit Lions signing QB Jordan Ta’amu

The Detroit Lions made an extra roster move on Tuesday to get down to 84 players by the 4 p.m. ET deadline. They only needed to get down to 85, so it’s no surprise that they are also adding a new face to the team. According to his agent—via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler— quarterback Jordan Ta’amu is signing with the Lions on Tuesday.

That news is probably not great for Tim Boyle, who suffered an injured ankle during Friday’s preseason game against the Bills. Though Boyle finished the game, he did not participate in practice on the following Monday and was spotted wearing a brace around his ankle.

As for Ta’amu, you may remember him from his brief XFL career last year. As the starting quarterback for the St. Louis Battlehawks, Ta’amu completed 72.0 percent of his passes for 1,050 yards (8.0 Y/A), five touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also rushed for 217 yards and a touchdown on 41 carries.

After the XFL suspended operations, Ta’amu signed with the Kansas City Chiefs but did not make the 53-man roster. He spent a couple of months on their practice squad before being released in late October. He actually then jumped to the Lions’ practice squad on December 16 but was never promoted to the active roster. In May, Ta’amu participated in the Washington Football Team’s rookie minicamp but he did not sign a contract with the team.

In Detroit again, he’ll likely slide into the third quarterback position behind David Blough while Boyle returns to health.