The Detroit Lions have shown interest in one of the top free agent linebackers remaining.
After Day 3 Detroit Lions training camp practice, Alex Anzalone met with the media and was candid about his current standing . Anzalone reiterated his desire to retire as a Lion, but admitted he had “no clue” about the timeline for his return as he recovers from a hamstring injury and navigates an expiring contract. He summed up everything succinctly: “This is a weird situation.”
On Wednesday, things got a little weirder. According to the NFL transaction wire, the Lions hosted veteran linebacker Kyzir White on a free agency visit.
Who is Kyzir White?
White served as the Cardinals’ starting MIKE linebacker and green dot for each of the last two seasons under Jonathan Gannon, following him from Philadelphia, where he was a starter on their Super Bowl runner-up team. There, he split duties with T.J. Edwards between WILL and MIKE linebacker roles.
White would add great experience, intrigue, and a little uncertainty to the Lions linebacker room. At 234 pounds, White projects slightly more towards Anzalone’s WILL linebacker role in the Lions defense, though he could also serve as a highly capable backup for Jack Campbell at MIKE linebacker.
Production and skillset
White is a tackling machine, ranking:
- 15th in the NFL last season with 137 combined tackles
- 8th in 2022 with 144 combined tackles for the Chargers
- 12th in combined tackles (481 total) over the past four seasons
He is more of a run-and-chase linebacker than a downhill thumper and carries solid coverage ability from his days as a college safety at West Virginia. Notably, evaluating his 2024 performance must account for the lackluster Cardinals defensive tackle group in front of him, outside of familiar face Roy Lopez, which was completely revamped this offseason.
Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon praised White upon re-signing him in 2024:
“The versatility that he brings, you know, obviously the motor and the violence, the coverage ability to run, obviously a complete player, super smart.”
This spring, Gannon lamented how replacing White would be particularly challenging from a leadership standpoint, suggesting he would seamlessly fit into the Lions’ locker room culture.
Implications for the Lions linebacker room
If signed, White would become the 10th linebacker on the Lions’ current 90-man roster. However, only eight are presumed healthy at the moment, with Malcolm Rodriguez (likely to start the season on PUP) and Anzalone both sidelined. The signing would leave seven linebackers to fill six combined MIKE and WILL roles across the first, second, and third-team defenses in practices (with Derrick Barnes and Trevor Nowaske at SAM linebacker). That would provide ample bodies for camp rotations, with a surplus once Anzalone returns.
Potential redundancy with Zach Cunningham
A White signing would add fuel to speculation about Anzalone’s “disappointing” situation and create some overlap with recent signee Zach Cunningham. Dan Campbell praised Cunningham on Monday morning for his fluidity, coverage skills, and athleticism. Both Cunningham and White are veteran linebackers with their best football likely behind them; neither has been a special teams mainstay in recent years (though Campbell noted Cunningham is getting special teams work in camp), and both offer interchangeable MIKE and WILL capabilities. White, however, is a year younger and has more recent significant defensive snaps than Cunningham.
Bottom line
Adding Kyzir White would make the Lions a better football team. He’s a competitor who would fill any role required, and his signing would reinforce linebacker depth—a potential learning lesson from last season when the Lions lost Barnes, Anzalone, Rodriguez, and Jalen Reeves-Maybin from Weeks 3 through 13.
However, while White would strengthen the unit, his addition would do little to clarify the mystery surrounding the Lions’ linebacker puzzle heading into 2025.