With the Detroit Lions prepping for their annual Thanksgiving Day matchup, the team made several transactions, hopefully signaling the return of some key contributors.
The team released three players from the active roster in defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson, defensive back Nick Whiteside, and defensive back Arthur Maulet.
With Alim McNeil returning to action, and now Marcus Davenport being a full participant in practice, the Lions have released Jefferson who appeared in only one game for Detroit during the 2025 season.
While the Lions were singing the high praises of their "UFL-gem" in Nick Whiteside, outside of his Week 7 performance, the former Battlehawk has been regulated to mostly special teams duties the past several weeks. It's also important to note that only Arthur Maulet, one of the three players released, wasa ctive during Week 12.
Lions shakeup active roster ahead of key returns
The Lions are hopeful for not only the return of Marcus Davenport, but also Josh Paschal (DE) and rookie Miles Frazier (OL). Both Davenport and Frazier have been full participants, however Paschal was listed as a non-participant (DNP) after being a full participant on Monday, per the Lions' official website.
It's also possible that the Lions see Terrion Arnold return to action after missing the past several weeks with a concussion. Arnold suffered a concussion during the Lions' Week 10 victory against the Washington Commanders and has missed the past two weeks.
READ MORE: Lions may be on the verge of losing their perfect John Morton replacement
With the release of two defensive backs, along with Arnold being a limited participant over the past two days, it could signal that the 2024 1st-round pick is trending in the right direction for the Lions ahead of Thanksgiving.
While the recent array of transactions suggests the possible activations of the above-mentioned players, the team has yet to make any official moves outside of re-signing Erick Hallett back to the practice squad.
With the current roster realignment, the Lions seem to be finally getting healthy at the right time as the team prepares to take on the Green Bay Packers in a divisional matchup. The Lions and Packers are set to be the first of three Thanksgiving games this Thursday, kicking off at 1 PM at Ford Field.