The Detroit Lions dealt with significant injury issues at the safety position during the 2025 NFL season, losing key contributors Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph for stretches of the year. Looking to strengthen depth at the position, general manager Brad Holmes has now brought in another veteran defensive back.

Detroit has signed safety Chuck Clark, a former sixth-round selection of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Lions will be the fourth franchise Clark has played for in his professional career, as he has also spent time with the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Lions Bolster Safety Depth With Clark Signing

Originally from Philadelphia, Clark attended King’s Fork High School in Suffolk. During his prep career, recruiting services ranked him among the top prospects in the region, including being listed as the No. 34 overall player in Virginia by ESPN.

Clark later committed to Virginia Tech Hokies football, where he became a key defensive presence. Over the course of his college career, he started 40 of the 52 games he appeared in and recorded 292 tackles.

His performance at Virginia Tech helped him land in the NFL when the Ravens selected him in the sixth round (186th overall) of the 2017 draft. Clark initially signed a four-year rookie contract worth about $2.57 million, which included a signing bonus of roughly $174,807.

After establishing himself in Baltimore’s defense, Clark eventually agreed to a three-year extension valued at $15.3 million, with $10 million guaranteed.

In 2023, the Ravens traded him to the Jets in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick. Unfortunately, Clark’s first season in New York ended before it began when he suffered a torn ACL during offseason team activities. Despite the injury setback, the Jets brought him back the following year on a one-year deal worth $2 million.

During that season, Clark started 12 games and posted 69 tackles, along with a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, two pass breakups, and one sack.

He later joined the Steelers in July of last year. While in Pittsburgh, Clark appeared in five starts and finished the season with 51 tackles, three pass deflections, and a forced fumble.

Across his NFL career, Clark has compiled 504 tackles, seven forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, 37 passes defended, five interceptions, two defensive touchdowns, and 4.5 sacks.

Campbell Says Lions Are Still Active in Building the Roster

Earlier this week, Lions head coach Dan Campbell made it clear that Detroit’s roster moves are far from finished.

Speaking during the NFL’s annual owners’ meetings, Campbell explained that free agency represents just one phase of the team-building process.

“Free agency is only one part of it,” Campbell said. “We’re not done. It’s still ongoing, then there’s the draft, and even after the draft there are more opportunities in free agency. Trades are always possible, and after training camp there’s the waiver wire.”

Campbell pointed out that the team has previously found valuable contributors through those avenues, mentioning defensive lineman John Cominsky as an example of a player the Lions added through waivers several years ago.

Detroit enters the upcoming season following a 9–8 campaign that saw the team finish with a winning record but lose its hold on the NFC North. The division race tightened significantly as Ben Johnson helped guide the Chicago Bears to a stronger season.