Detroit Lions

Lions bring in another standout UFL talent ahead of preseason debut

Kehinde Clement July 29, 2025

On Tuesday, the Detroit Lions revealed two roster changes ahead of their first preseason matchup. The team signed running back Jacob Saylors, who recently played for the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks. To clear a roster spot, Detroit released tight end Luke Deal with an injury designation.

Saylors previously spent time with a few NFL squads before this move, including stints with the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, and Atlanta Falcons. However, he did not appear in any regular season contests with those teams.

Saylors is now the second UFL player—and second former Battlehawk—picked up by the Lions this week. Cornerback Nick Whiteside joined Detroit’s training camp after the team parted ways with injured corner Stantley Thomas-Oliver.

Prior to his pro experience in the UFL, Saylors was a standout college back at East Tennessee State from 2018 through 2022. In that span, he had two seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards and totaled 33 touchdowns during his collegiate career.

Saylors’ top year with ETSU came in 2022, when he ran for 1,317 yards and 15 touchdowns on 225 attempts. He’s played the last two seasons with the Battlehawks, finding success with 960 rushing yards and 10 scores over that stretch.

In the most recent UFL campaign, Saylors ranked second in the league in rushing yards, tallying 499 yards and five touchdowns for a Battlehawks team that went 8-2 and led the XFL conference.

In the playoffs, St. Louis lost 36-18 to the DC Defenders in the XFL Conference Championship. Saylors managed 45 yards and one touchdown on nine carries in the defeat.

Now, Saylors joins a crowded backfield featuring Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki, Jabari Small, and Kye Robichaux. He’s expected to see action during the preseason as the Lions evaluate his fit on the roster.

Detroit kicks off preseason action Thursday night against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. With just over a week of training camp complete, this is one of several significant moves as the Lions prepare for the 2025 season.