Detroit declared on X that Shane Zylstra had been re-signed.
Zylstra had fewer than three years of total NFL experience because he was an exclusive rights free agent. Like a restricted free agent, the player’s only option is to be tendered by the team; unless they are released, they are unable to negotiate with another team.
In addition, the player has the option to accept a one-year tender offer from the organization or to sit out the entire campaign. The athlete becomes an unrestricted free agent and is open to signing with any team if the team chooses not to tender them.
To put it briefly, Zylstra will return to Detroit for the upcoming campaign, where he will earn about $1.055 million.
Shane Zylstra has spent the previous three seasons on and off with Detroit.
Zylstra was signed by the Detroit Lions to the practice squad following his release from the Minnesota Vikings during the last round of roster cuts in his rookie campaign. In four games during the regular season, Zylstra was upgraded. He caught three passes for 34 yards on seven targets.
Zylstra was cut by Detroit in the last round of roster reductions in his sophomore campaign. After being added to the active roster, he made 13 appearances. On 15 targets, he caught 11 passes for 60 yards and four touchdowns.
In his third season, Zylstra had a season-ending knee injury during training camp, prompting Detroit to place him on injured reserve.
Who will be the TE2 for Detroit?
This offseason, Detroit plans to search for a tight end to complement Sam LaPorta.
One of three methods—the draft, free agency, or roster promotion—could be used to fill the post. Players like James Mitchell, Shane Zylstra, and Brock Wright (RFA) are on the team and might be contenders for the role.
