Jefferson signed with the Lions' practice squad Wednesday.
The Oregon State product was left off the Lions' initial 53-man roster, but he's sticking around on the team's practice squad. Jefferson most recently appeared in a regular-season game with Detroit in 2021, tallying 74 rushing yards and two touchdowns across seven outings.
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Jermar Jefferson: Doesn't make roster
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The Lions waived Jefferson on Tuesday.
Jefferson was a seventh-round draft pick by the Lions in 2021 and got into seven regular-season games that year, carrying 15 times for a healthy 74 yards and two touchdowns while adding 23 yards on four catches. He hasn't gotten a regular-season NFL snap since then. Though Jefferson gained a modest 38 yards on 14 carries during the preseason this year, he also scored two rushing touchdowns
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Lions' Jermar Jefferson: Healthy for offseason program
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Jefferson (undisclosed) was on the field last week for the start of Detroit's offseason program.
Jefferson finished the 2023 campaign on Lions' practice squad injured list after sustaining an undisclosed injury in late January. The nature of the 24-year-old's issue was never revealed, though he appears to have moved past the injury over the past few months. Jefferson hasn't seen any regular-season NFL action since 2021, as he's spent both of the past two campaigns on Detroit's practice squad.
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Lions' Jermar Jefferson: Inks new deal
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Jefferson (undisclosed) signed a reserve/future contract with the Lions on Tuesday, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.
Jefferson has spent his entire three-year career in the Lions organization, though he hasn't seen any NFL action since 2021 and has spent the better part of the past two seasons on the practice squad. The Oregon State product will stick around with the Lions heading into 2024 and will look to compete for a roster spot, provided he's made a full recovery from the health concern that caused him to be placed on the practice squad injured list last week.
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Jermar Jefferson: Dealing with injury
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The Lions placed Jefferson on the practice squad injured list Wednesday due to an unspecified issue.
Jefferson will be ineligible to take part in practices with the Lions for the remainder of the postseason while he recovers from the injury. The 23-year-old running back logged 15 carries for 74 yards and two touchdowns over seven appearances as a rookie with the Lions in 2021 but hasn't seen any game action since while spending both of the past two seasons on Detroit's practice squad.
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Jermar Jefferson: Links back with Detroit
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The Lions signed Jefferson to the practice squad Tuesday.
Jefferson spent training camp with the Lions but was waived with an injury settlement on Sept. 6 due to an undisclosed injury. He had a workout with the Cardinals on Oct. 3 but did not end up signing with the team. The 2021 seventh-round pick will rejoin the Lions on their practice squad and will wait for an opportunity to be called up to the team's active roster this season.
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Jermar Jefferson: Receives look from Arizona
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Jefferson (undisclosed) had a workout with the Cardinals on Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Jefferson spent training camp with the Lions but ended up on injured reserve due to an undisclosed injury. The Oregon State product reached an injury settlement with the team, though, and is now healthy and looking for new opportunities. With Keaontay Ingram dealing with a neck injury, Arizona may be in the market for some extra depth at running back.
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Lions' Jermar Jefferson: Reverts to IR
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Jefferson (undisclosed) reverted to Detroit's injured reserve Wednesday, per the NFL's transaction log.
Jefferson cleared waivers after being cut Tuesday, so barring an injury designation, he will now spend the rest of the 2023 season on IR. The exact nature of the 2021 seventh-round pick's injury remains undisclosed.
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Jermar Jefferson: Waived with injury designation
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Jefferson (undisclosed) was waived/injured by the Lions on Tuesday, per the NFL's transaction log.
The nature of Jefferson's injury is unclear at this time. Assuming he clears waivers, his next step will be reverting to the team's injured reserve. From there, he will be looking at a 2023 season on the sideline unless both he and the team can reach an injury settlement at some point.
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Lions' Jermar Jefferson: Lands new deal with Detroit
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The Lions signed Jefferson to a reserve/future contract Monday.
Jefferson will get another chance to carve out a spot with Detroit heading into the offseason. The 2021 seventh-round pick logged 15 carries for 74 yards and two touchdowns across seven games during his rookie season, though he spent the entirety of 2022 on the practice squad before being elevated for Sunday's regular-season finale versus the Packers. Jefferson never wound up taking the field against Green Bay, though his experience with the team was still enough to earn him a new deal heading into this offseason.
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Lions' Jermar Jefferson: Bumped up to active roster
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The Lions elevated Jefferson from the practice squad Saturday for Sunday's game against the Packers.
Jefferson will be brought up from the practice squad for the first time this season ahead of Sunday's must-win regular-season finale. The second-year running back recorded 15 carries for 74 yards and two touchdowns across seven games with Detroit in 2021, though he's yet to make an appearance this season. Expect Jefferson to slot into a reserve/special-teams role behind backup running backs Justin Jackson and Craig Reynolds.
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Jermar Jefferson: Joins Detroit's practice squad
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The Lions signed Jefferson to their practice squad Thursday.
Jefferson initially made the team's 53-man roster but was waived a day later. However, he's returned to the organization on a practice-squad deal. The 2021 seventh-round pick appeared in seven games as a rookie, totaling 19 touches for 97 yards and two scores.
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Jermar Jefferson: Goes onto waivers
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Detroit waived Jefferson on Wednesday, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.
It initially appeared as though Jefferson had secured a spot on the depth chart after he survived Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline, but he'll now become an unrestricted free agent assuming he isn't claimed during the current waiver period. The move leaves D'Andre Swift, Jamaal Williams and Craig Reynolds as the remaining running backs on the Lions' active roster.
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Lions' Jermar Jefferson: Survives roster cuts
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Jefferson made the Lions' initial 53-man roster Tuesday as their No. 4 running back, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.
After being outdone by Justin Jackson this preseason while seemingly offering less value on special teams than Godwin Igwebuike, Jefferson surprisingly survived roster cuts after getting beat out by Igwebuike in 2021. However, Craig Reynolds remains in the No. 3 slot, so Jefferson won't necessarily be next in line for work if something happens to D'Andre Swift or Jamaal Williams.
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Lions' Jermar Jefferson: Drawing praise from coach
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Head coach Dan Campbell specified Jefferson as a player having a productive training camp, Colton Pouncy of The Athletic reports.
After a productive career at Oregon, Jefferson failed to find his footing as a seventh-round rookie last year in Detroit. By season's end, both converted safety Godwin Igwebuike and Kutztown product Craig Reynolds had earned more snaps and game appearances than him. However, it seems that Jefferson has worked his way back into the mix this offseason, which opens the door for him to compete with Igwebuike, Reynolds and Justin Jackson for the No. 3 running back job behind D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams.
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Lions' Jermar Jefferson: Surprisingly small role
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Jefferson rushed five times for nine yards during Sunday's 30-12 win over Arizona.
Jefferson seemed slated for a large role in the absence of D'Andre Swift (shoulder) and Jamaal Williams, but he ultimately logged just six offensive snaps while Craig Reynolds (42) and Godwin Igwebuike (nine) carried more of the load. With Williams now off the reserve/COVID-19 list and Swift set to test his shoulder in practice this week, Jefferson stands to see even less playing time Week 16 against Atlanta.
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Lions' Jermar Jefferson: Should get larger role Week 15
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Running backs coach Duce Staley said that he expects Jefferson to have a larger role in the Lions' game plan Sunday against the Cardinals than the rookie had in last week's loss to Denver, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.
In Week 15, Detroit is once again expected to be without both of its top two backs in D'Andre Swift (shoulder), who has already missed two games, and Jamaal Williams, who sat out in Denver after landing on the reserve/COVID-19 list prior to the contest. Williams remains in quarantine and doesn't appear on track to gain clearance ahead of Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff, leaving Craig Reynolds, Godwin Igwebuike and Jefferson as the healthy running backs on the roster. Though Jefferson was active for the game against Denver, he played just six total snaps since he had battled an ankle injury along with a case of the flu heading into the contest. Now healthier as Sunday's contest approaches, Jefferson should have a more prominent role on the ground, though Reynolds may still serve as the Lions' lead ballcarrier after gaining 65 yards on 10 totes in Week 14. Igwebuike, meanwhile, profiles as the Lions' top pass-catching back.
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Lions' Jermar Jefferson: Clear for Week 14
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Jefferson (illness) doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game in Denver, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.
Jefferson was affected by the flu outbreak going around the Lions' locker room, with the Lions holding him out of drills Thursday. But he was able to handle every practice rep to cap the week and set himself up to be available Sunday. The same can't be said for D'Andre Swift, who is missing a second consecutive game due to an AC joint sprain, and Jamaal Williams, whom the Lions placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Friday. With Swift and Williams sidelined this weekend, Jefferson and Godwin Igwebuike will handle running back duties for Detroit.
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Lions' Jermar Jefferson: Sitting with illness
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Jefferson didn't practice Thursday due to an illness.
Jefferson wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report, so the ailment is a new development. The 21-year-old may need to return to practice in some capacity Friday to have a chance of suiting up this weekend at Denver.
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Lions' Jermar Jefferson: Slides up depth chart Week 13
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Jefferson will compete for touches with Godwin Igwebuike as the secondary option out of the backfield behind Jamaal Williams, who is slated to start and fill a lead role Sunday against the Vikings with D'Andre Swift (shoulder) ruled out for the game, Benjamin Raven of MLive.com reports.
For one of the few times all season, Detroit had all four running backs active in its 16-14 loss to Chicago on Thanksgiving Day. Neither Jefferson nor Igwebuike appeared likely to have a role on offense heading into the contest, but Swift's early exit due to a sprained shoulder opened up opportunities for both players to pick up a handful of snaps behind Williams. Still, Igwebuike (four snaps) and Jefferson (three snaps) were barely involved, so Williams looks like he'll be on track to serve as a three-down workhorse Week 13 with Swift out of the picture. There likely won't be enough work left over for either Jefferson or Igwebuike to make a meaningful fantasy impact.
