Ziggy Ansah’s season is over. His tenure with the Lions may be over as well.
The Lions put Ansah on season-ending injured reserve today. He becomes a free agent in March, and there’s a good chance he’ll move on after spending his first six seasons with the Lions, who chose him with the first overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft.
This year Ansah made $17.143 million by playing on the franchise tender for defensive ends. Given that his injury-plagued season saw him appear in just seven games while nursing multiple shoulder injuries and record just four sacks, he won’t get that kind of money in 2019. A one-year deal for a smaller base salary with incentives and the opportunity to test free agency in 2020 might be the best he can do.
Will that deal come with the Lions? It’s possible, but G.M. Bob Quinn wasn’t the one who drafted Ansah, and Detroit looks like a team that’s going to significantly overhaul its roster this offseason.
Also placed on injured reserve was tight end Michael Roberts, a 24-year-old who has nine catches for 100 yards and three touchdowns this season. Like Ansah, Roberts had a shoulder injury.
