Tyson Alualu, a veteran defensive tackle, is being added by the Detroit Lions.
Kenny Zuckerman, the 36-year-old’s agent, revealed the deal via a tweet on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
Zuckerman added, “Time to play ball,” tagging Alualu.
In the first round of the 2010 NFL Draught, Alualu was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with pick No. 10 overall. Before he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Alualu spent seven seasons as a player with the Jaguars.
Alualu spent six years as a player in Pittsburgh. He played in 17 games in 2022 and finished with 13 combined tackles, 2 quarterback hits, 1 pass defence, and 0.5 sacks.
However, Alualu had not signed with a team for the 2023 season prior to December 5.
Alualu is the second defensive lineman in 36 years that the Lions have added in the last month. Bruce Irvin, a defensive end, was recruited by the Lions to their practise squad on November 16.
Alualu will start his Lions career on the practise squad, exactly like Irvin, according to Justin Rogers of The Detroit News.
Lions Sign DT Tyson Alualu
Alualu never became an All-Pro or Pro Bowl player. That was probably a little disappointing for the Jaguars since he was a top 10 pick.
But Alualu has been a solid contributor throughout his long career.
He made 87 starts while playing for Jacksonville, recording 17.5 sacks and 30 tackles for loss. Throughout six of his seven seasons with the Jaguars, he had at least two sacks and three tackles for loss.
It’s possible that his debut season in Jacksonville was his greatest statistical performance. In 2010, Alualu recorded nine quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks.
Playing mostly as a rotational defensive lineman, Alualu recorded 7.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, and 19 quarterback hits in his time with the Steelers. Out of 81 games, he started 26 of them with Pittsburgh.
2020 was his greatest season with the Steelers, registering two sacks, four tackles for loss, and five quarterback hits.
The 2021 season began with Alualu suffering a fractured ankle in Week 2. However, he came back to suit up for the Steelers for all 17 games in 2017.
How the Lions Fit Alualu in.
Alualu participated in 291 defensive snaps and 32 special teams snaps throughout those 17 games. That was by far the least amount of game time he has ever gotten in his professional career.
Alualu only received a 30.4 player grade (out of100) at Pro Football Focus while playing in that limited sample. The 2011 season marked his previous career low with a grade of 46.1.
Alualu is obviously beyond his peak. However, with starting defensive lineman Alim McNeill out due to injury, the Lions are searching for depth on the inside. The Week 14 game against the Chicago Bears may not include the second-year defensive tackle.
On December 4, Campbell informed the journalists, “Yeah, look, Mac’s a little banged up.” “We should find out more about him in a few days, at most. It is possible that he is not awake.
Just three weeks earlier, the Lions gave up 183 yards of run yardage to the Bears, even with McNeill in the lineup. Detroit has allowed 135 running yards per game beyond that point.
The Lions’ run defence may only become worse with McNeill gone. However, by including Alualu, the club has some insurance on the practise squad in case McNeill is unable to participate.
It remains to be seen, though, if the Lions decide to elevate Alualu in the case that McNeill is not dressed in Week 14. Irvin was promoted from the practise squad by Detroit in his third week of play.
