Player Bio
| HT/WT: 5-11, 195 lbs |
| Birthplace: Jasper, TN |
| Age: 26 |
| School: East Tennessee State |
| Experience: 2 |
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12:29NFL Week 3 Bold Predictions | HQ NFL
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1:42NFL Week 3 Best Bets: Chargers at Bills
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0:48Why You Should Bet on the Vikings to Win NFC North
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1:41Bills Looking Like Strong Super Bowl Contenders
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2:44NFL Week 3 Picks: Jets at Lions
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1:18Bills Defense Slows Down Jahmyr Gibbs
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0:43Lions Schedule Gets Easier After Tough Start
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1:32Breaking Down the Lions' Defensive Struggles
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1:31Dan Campbell's Role in Lions' Rough Start
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1:31Has the Detroit Lions Defense Gone Missing?
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1:34Why the Bills Don't Fear 13 Personnel
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1:37
Josh Allen, Bills Roll Over Lions on TNF
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1:04NFL Week 2 Bold Predictions: Lions vs. Bills
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10:12NFL Week 2 Bold Predictions
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1:53Carhartt Highmark Highlight: Bills to Debut New Stadium vs. Lions
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1:52Ravens Put Lamar Jackson Under Center More in Week 1
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1:42Lions vs. Bills: Players to Watch
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1:59Jahmyr Gibbs Embraces Bigger Workload
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2026 Rushing
| STATS |
ATT
Rushing Attempts
|
YDS
Rushing Yards
|
AVG
Average Yards per Rush
|
TD
Rushing Touchdowns
|
LNG
Longest Rush
|
FL
Fumbles Lost
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Top Jacob Saylors News
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: No offensive role in loss
Saylors logged one tackle on kick coverage and recorded two kickoff returns for 58 yards during Thursday night's 41-31 loss to the Bills.
Saylors did not play a single offensive snap in the contest, logging all 18 reps on special teams. Jahmyr Gibbs consumed almost all of the rushing work for the Lions, leaving Sione Vaki with just 11 offensive snaps and one carry to Saylors' none. Saylors is likely to remain relegated to special-teams work for the foreseeable future, and the third-year player may lose his roster spot once Isiah Pacheco (back) returns from injured reserve.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: No offensive snaps in win
Saylors made one special-teams tackle and returned two kickoffs for 25 yards in Sunday's 31-30 overtime win against the Saints.
Saylors saw no offensive snaps in Sunday's contest, taking all 24 of his reps with the special-teams unit. Saylors made one tackle on kick coverage and had two short returns in the game, taking on most of the grunt work as the Lions' offense burned bright without him.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Earns trust of coaching staff
Saylors earned the trust of coaching staff during training camp and could see consistent playing time on both offense and special teams this season, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.
Saylors had a strong training camp, and across three preseason games he logged 31 carries for 187 yards while catching five passes (on nine targets) for 40 yards. With Isiah Pacheco (back) on injured reserve with no clear return timeline, Saylors is poised to operate in an elevated role in the offense behind Jahmyr Gibbs, with 2024 fourth-rounder Sione Vaki also in the mix for backfield touches.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Starts Saturday
Saylors rushed six times for 32 yards while also giving up a fumble-six in Saturday's 17-13 preseason win over the Commanders.
Saylors' 5.3 yards per carry and starting role were somewhat overshadowed by a massive mistake. The running back coughed up the ball on the second play of the game, leading to a fumble-six that gave the Commanders an early lead. The 26-year-old recovered well from the error, producing consistently and safely for the rest of the contest. It remains unclear how the Lions' opinion of the second-year rusher will be affected, but with Isiah Pacheco (knee) and Sione Vaki (back) still sidelined with injuries, Saylors will likely remain one of the top options at running back for the time being.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Day-to-day with ankle issue
Saylors (ankle) could return to practice in "a day or two," Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports.
Saylors likely picked up the issue in Thursday's preseason opener against the Bengals. The running back is set to be the starting kick returner for the Lions this season, so healing completely from the issue takes priority over preseason action. Saylors played just nine offensive snaps over 16 regular-season games in 2025 compared to 281 special-teams snaps.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Staying in Detroit
The Lions signed Saylors to a one-year contract Monday.
Saylors initially opened the regular season on the Lions' practice squad after failing to make the 53-man roster at the end of training camp, but he caught on ahead of Week 1 due to a hamstring injury to Sione Vaki. Saylors managed to stick around on the active roster for the entire 2025 season, primarily serving on special teams and leading the Lions with 897 yards on 33 kickoff returns while adding two carries for 11 yards across 16 games. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery figure to man the Lions' backfield for the foreseeable future, but the one-time UFL standout will be with Detroit during offseason activities and look to show the coaching staff enough progress to earn a larger role for himself in 2026.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Suiting up for Thanksgiving clash
Saylors (back) is active for Thursday's Week 13 matchup versus the Packers.
Saylors has been managing a back issue for most of November, and it caused him to sit out Week 10 against Washington. However, he's been able to play each of the past two weeks, and he's continued to work as the lead kick returner for the Lions. That will likely be Saylors' primary role again Thursday, as he has logged just seven offensive snaps through 10 games this year.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Limited again Tuesday
Saylors (back) remained a limited participant for Tuesday's walkthrough practice.
Saylors handles kickoff returns for the Lions, as he's logged 699 scoreless yards on 26 returns this season. He otherwise carries no fantasy value while Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are healthy.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Limited Monday
Saylors (back) was limited on Monday's estimated practice report.
Saylors has been dealing with a back issue for most of November. He's logged a total of six offensive snaps all season but is a fixture on special teams for the Lions. Saylors has returned 26 kickoffs for 699 scoreless yards while producing six tackles (four solo).
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: All set for SNF
Saylors (back) is active for Sunday night's matchup with the Eagles.
Saylors will make his return to action after missing the team's win over Washington in Week 10 due to a back injury. The running back likely will be plugged back in as the Lions' primary kickoff returner against Philadelphia.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Tagged as questionable Week 11
Saylors (back) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Philadelphia.
A back injury prevented Saylors from playing against the Commanders in Week 10. He was limited in all three practices during Week 10 prep, which gives him a chance to suit up in Sunday's road game in Philadelphia. The Lions could be thin in the backfield behind Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, as Sione Vaki is also listed as questionable due to an ankle injury.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Unavailable for Week 10
Saylors (back) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Commanders.
A back issue prevented Saylors from participating in the final two practices of Week 10 prep, and the injury is severe enough for him to be sidelined for Sunday's road contest. Craig Reynolds (hamstring) is currently listed as questionable, and if he were to join Saylors on the Lions' inactive list, then Sione Vaki would serve as the Lions' RB3 behind Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Saylors' next opportunity to suit up is Week 11 against the Eagles on Sunday, Nov. 16.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Doesn't practice Thursday
Saylors (back) did not participate in practice Thursday.
Saylors did not appear to suffer an injury in Detroit's Week 9 matchup against the Vikings, but he was limited in practice Thursday. Should the 25-year-old reserve running back and kickoff returner be unable to return to practice Friday, he will be at risk of missing Sunday's matchup against Washington.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Role limited to special teams
Saylors returned two kickoffs for 54 yards in Monday's 24-9 win over the Buccaneers.
Since logging his first two NFL carries (and gaining 11 yards) in a Week 4 blowout win over the Browns, Saylors has played exclusively on special teams in the Lions' subsequent three games. In addition to serving as Detroit's top kickoff returner, Saylors also has a role on the Lions' coverage units.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Questionable to return Week 4
Saylors is questionable to return to Sunday's game against Cleveland due to a hamstring injury.
Saylors appeared to suffer the injury during a Lions' punt return. He's primarily been deployed on special teams this season, so his absence won't impact the Lions' backfield, which is led by Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.
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Lions' Jacob Saylors: Signed to active roster
The Lions signed Saylors off their practice squad Saturday.
With Sione Vaki (hamstring) out for Week 1 against the Packers, Saylors was signed to the 53-man roster as the Lions' RB4 behind Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery and special teams dynamo Craig Reynolds. Saylors carried the ball 33 times during the preseason, totaling 112 scoreless yards.
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Jacob Saylors: Gets spot on practice squad
Saylors signed with the Lions' practice squad Wednesday.
Saylors is entering his third season in the NFL but has yet to play in a regular-season game. He was highly productive over his past two seasons at East Tennessee State, but he'll need injuries to pile up before he gets a shot on the active roster.
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