Lions Sign DL Christian Covington

Although Christian Covington‘s 2022 season ended early, the Lions will give him a shot to bounce back. The well-traveled defensive lineman agreed to terms with the Lions on Wednesday, according to his agent (on Twitter). The Lions have since announced the signing.

An eight-year veteran, Covington has worked as a rotational defensive lineman and occasional starter throughout his career. He topped 500 defensive snaps in both 2020 and ’21, but a torn pectoral muscle ended his second Chargers season.

Covington, 29, has mostly served as an interior D-line presence for his various teams. A 2015 Texans draftee, Covington later journeyed to Dallas, Cincinnati and Los Angeles. He has 32 starts on his resume. Covington worked in the Bolts’ 3-4 defense but was part of 4-3 schemes with the Bengals and Cowboys in the two years prior, making for a fit in either alignment. Pro Football Focus rated Covington as a plus run defender in the late 2010s and slotted him as a middle-of-the-pack interior D-lineman in 2021.

The Chargers gave Covington two one-year contracts, both for the league minimum. Considering the pec tear ended Covington’s 2022 season after four games, it stands to reason his Lions deal will check in around the same financial territory.

In 2021, Covington totaled a career-high 52 tackles and forced a fumble. The Bengals gave the 289-pound defender a career-most 14 starts in 2020. Beyond that season, however, Covington has never started more than six games in a single slate.

Detroit has made a number of defensive augmentations this offseason, which is understandable given its last-place ranking last season. The Lions have added more notable players on the second and third levels. They signed three starter-caliber DBs (Cameron Sutton, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Emmanuel Moseley) and drafted Brian Branch in the second round. They also made linebacker Jack Campbell a surprising first-round pick. Up front, the Lions did use a third-round pick on D-tackle Brodric Martin. Beyond that and the re-signing of John Cominsky, the Lions have stood pat up front. Covington will be given a chance to catch on as a rotational presence for Dan Campbell‘s team.