Detroit Lions waive Shane Zylstra with injury designation

The Detroit Lions announced on Tuesday afternoon that they have waived tight end Shane Zylstra with an injury designation. The news comes a day after Zylstra suffered a leg injury after taking a low hit during team drills of Monday’s training camp practice. According to NFL Network, there is a belief that Zylstra’s injury is significant enough that it may cause him to miss the next six months.

Zylstra will now be subject to waivers, but given the seriousness of his injury, he will almost certainly clear without being claimed. After that, he will revert to Detroit’s injured reserve list. The Lions can decide then to keep Zylstra on the IR list, ending his 2023 season, or they could come to an injury settlement agreement with Zylstra and release him again. The Lions just went through this process with receiver Tom Kennedy, who currently resides on the Lions IR list.

The Lions now have an open spot on the roster, and it would not be a surprise if they add a tight end to replace him. In addition to Zylstra, rookie tight end Sam LaPorta did not finish Monday’s practice. Reporters on hand did not see when or why LaPorta left practice, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on.

Detroit will return to practice on Wednesday after having a day off. We should know more about LaPorta, Zylstra, and the rest of Detroit’s injury situation during coach Dan Campbell’s scheduled press conference prior to practice.