Jamie Collins' future with the Detroit Lions appears to be coming to an end. Could a third stint with the New England Patriots be in the cards?
NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that the Lions are exploring trade scenarios involving Collins. The veteran linebacker signed a three-year, $30 million contract with Detroit as a free agent in 2020.
One former Patriots linebacker, Brandon Spikes, would like to see Collins return to New England.
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Lions head coach Dan Campbell confirmed to reporters Thursday that the Lions are indeed looking to trade Collins.
Collins was a 2013 second-round draft pick of the Patriots and played three-and-a-half seasons in New England before being traded to the Cleveland Browns during the 2016 campaign. After spending two-and-a-half years with the Browns, the Patriots signed Collins as a free agent in 2019. He played in all 16 games for the Pats that season before signing his free agent deal with the Lions.
The 31-year-old linebacker has tallied 10 tackles and one fumble recovery in two games for the Lions this season.
New England Patriots
The Patriots already have decent depth at linebacker. Getting Collins back would be nice, but cornerback is probably a greater position of need for the Pats right now if they're going to make a trade.