Kerry Hyder will be sticking around Detroit. ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that the Lions have re-signed the defensive end. The 26-year-old was set to become an exclusive rights free agent. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets that Hyder signed his ERFA tender, which is worth $630K.
Following a brief stint with the Jets, the 2014 undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech has spent the past three seasons with the Lions. The lineman had a breakout season in 2016, compiling 36 tackles and eight sacks in 16 games (two starts). Unfortunately, Hyder tore his Achilles during his team’s first 2017 preseason game, and he ultimately sat out for the entirety of this past campaign.
With Ezekiel Ansah and Anthony Zettel likely to start the season in Detroit, it’s unlikely that Hyder will automatically earn a starting gig. However, he figures to be the top reserve among a group that also includes Cornelius Washington, Jeremiah Valoaga, Alex Barrett, and Christian Ringo (ERFA).