Detroit Lions re-sign center Ross Pierschbacher

The Detroit Lions announced on Wednesday morning that they have re-signed reserve offensive lineman Ross Pierschbacher. The team did not disclose contract terms.

Pierschbacher was a restricted free agent, meaning the Lions could have offered him a tender at a set contract value (minimum $2.6 million), but the Lions opted to forego that option and just sign him to a new contract instead. That’s a good sign the deal will be significantly less than that minimum.

The Lions added Pierschbacher at the start of the regular season last year when they found themselves shorthanded on the interior offensive line following some early injuries. Pierschbacher would not end up playing any offensive snaps all season but did play on special teams for a three-game stretch.

Pierschbacher, a former center for the Alabama Crimson Tide (who also played left and right guard in college), is now the only player under contract that has center experience to back up Frank Ragnow. Last year’s backup center, Evan Brown, will be an unrestricted free agent next week if the Lions can’t come to an agreement with him before Wednesday, March 15. The Lions may also bring back Tommy Kraemer, who is an exclusive rights free agent and has taken center reps in Detroit previously.

At this point, it’s too early to tell if Pierschbacher’s re-signing is an indication the Lions may not be able to bring Brown or Kraemer back.

We’re tracking all of the Lions’ free agent moves in our 2023 offseason tracker here.