Detroit Lions re-sign WR Javon McKinley, TE Jared Pinkney to practice squad

On Saturday, the Detroit Lions released wide receiver Javon McKinley and tight end Jared Pinkney from the practice squad, and on Monday morning they undid that decision and re-signed the pair. In a corresponding move, the Lions released punter Lachlan Edwards and long snapper Beau Brinkley, who were signed on Saturday to replace McKinley and Pinkney.

So why did the Lions make completely reverse two moves they made less than 48 hours earlier?

We can’t definitively say for certain, but it makes sense that this could have been a precautionary move to prepare for a potential COVID-19 scare.

Last Thursday, kicker Austin Seibert was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. It’s possible the Lions were concerned about their other specialists also potentially being exposed and therefore made the moves on Saturday to have a backup plan in case punter Jack Fox or long snapper Scott Daly tested positive ahead of Sunday’s game.

Now that the game has passed without incident, the Lions appear to be comfortable with the statuses of their specialists and elected to make the move to re-add their offensive skill players.

With the kicking specialist being a group with thin depth, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Lions make a similar move in the future if another COVID-19 scare presents itself.