The Lions ruled out Gardner-Johnson for Week 17, so even if he’s activated, he will not be able to play versus the Cowboys. But the roster spot is open for him if Detroit is already planning for Gardner-Johnson to return in Week 18. Ahead of the December 30 matchup, the Lions also activated the 21-day practice window for linebacker James Houston. Like Gardner-Johnson, Houston has been sidelined since Week 2. Houston has been dealing with an ankle injury.
Gardner-Johnson and Houston are the obvious choices for Detroit’s open roster spot. SB Nation’s Jeremy Reisman wrote that the Lions could also use the spot to sign defensive end Bruce Irvin to the active roster. Cabinda began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent linebacker for the then Oakland Raiders in 2018. He played 10 games as a rookie, which included three starts.
With the Lions in 2019, Cabinda played four games, mostly appearing on special teams. Then when Detroit brought him back the following season, Cabinda converted to full back. He played at least 104 offensive snaps each season for the Lions from 2020-22. Cabinda was also a major contributor on special teams for Detroit in 2020 and 2021.
The Lions had already elevated Badgley from their practice squad each of the past two games. The maximum amount of times a team can elevate a player to the active roster for game day is three times. By signing Badgley, Detroit avoided potentially maximizing their options with the veteran kicker. In two games, Badgley has made his only field-goal attempt for the Lions this season. He is also 9-for-10 on extra-point tries. The only attempt he missed was blocke
