Christian Izien
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Lions fans will love what Christian Izien had to say.
As part of the club’s moves to kick off the 2026 NFL Free Agency period, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes signed free agent DB Christian Izien, who had spent the last three years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Izien signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent after playing college football at Rutgers University.
He’s faced the Lions numerous times during his NFL career, and knows all too well what kind of roaring atmosphere that the rowdy fans at Ford Field routinely provide during Detroit’s home game days.
But now, he’ll have those same rowdy fans in his corner, something that he’s looking forward to.
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Detroit Lions Fans Will Love What New DB Christian Izien Said About Them
Having played against the Lions several times at Ford Field, Izien is looking forward to having the “crazy environment” of Detroit fans cheering for him moving forward.
“I told a lot of my peers after that game that was probably the most intense game that I’ve played in my career, and it still stands to this day,” Izien explained to 97.1’s Will Burchfield on Friday. “Going against the Lions is always that environment, but just being in Ford Field and having those fans behind them — and behind me now — it’s always just a crazy environment.”
“I was looking for, one, a home, somewhere I felt comfortable coming in every day and playing football,” he continued about his new NFL home. “A coaching staff that believed in me. A city that loves football. I believe I found all of that in Detroit.”
Before agreeing to join the Lions, Izien had conversations with Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, which he described as the “realest conversation” he’s had with an NFL coach.
“Probably the realest conversation with a coach since I’ve been in the league, even interviews prior to the league,” Izien said of his talks with Sheppard.
“We had some really good talks about how they plan on using me and things like that,” he continued. “Just his transparency, that was something I was looking for in the free agency market, coaches to be transparent. He’s just a real guy.”
Finally, Izien said that he’s using his less-than-ideal situation with the Buccaneers last season as motivation now that he’s with the Lions.
“Last year, things didn’t go the way I thought it would or the way I wanted it to,” he said. “Kind of put that in the past, use it as fuel, motivation for this year coming up. I can see myself as a starter in this league. I said that last year, and I’ll say it again.”
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Christian Izien Is The Newest Lions DB
Before committing to Rutgers, Izien played high school football at Erasmus Hall High School in New York, and would later receive New York City Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior.
While he wasn’t drafted in 2023, he later joined the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.