The Detroit Lions are getting their big-name free agent back on the field. According to Tim Twentyman, the Lions have activated edge defender Trey Flowers from the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP). Flowers signed a massive five-year, $90 million dollar contract after spending the first four years of his career with the New England Patriots.
Lions also activated Trey Flowers from PUP list
— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) August 10, 2019
Detroit Lions Activate Trey Flowers From PUP List
Flowers started the year on the PUP after undergoing minor shoulder surgery early in the off-season. The procedure wasn’t expected to sideline him for the start of the regular season, and Flowers remains on pace to play in Detroit’s season opener. Flowers missed the first preseason game of the year, but the five-year NFL veteran probably wouldn’t have seen much playing time regardless.
Flowers, of course, has a history with head coach Matt Patricia. The defensive end started his career under Patricia’s guide as a fourth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. After missing the majority of his rookie season with an injury, Flowers went on to be a key piece of New England’s defensive line. Flowers recorded a team-high seven sacks in 2017 while appearing in all 16 games. The second-year star recorded 2.5 sacks in Super Bowl LI, including a key fourth-quarter sack which pushed the Atlanta Falcons out of field goal range.
Flowers is coming off a season in which he recorded a career-high 7.5 sacks in 15 games started. While he doesn’t put together the highest sack numbers, he’s great at playing the run and pass while applying pressure to the quarterback. He also was a key piece of the defense which limited Jared Goff to just three points in Super Bowl LIII.
Throughout the course of Flowers’ career, the former fourth-round pick has recorded 21 sacks, 164 tackles, 59 quarterback hits, and 25 tackles-for-loss. The big-money defender was the top defensive lineman on two separate Super Bowl champion rosters but has never made a Pro Bowl up to this point in his career.
