Lions sign four replacements after putting three on injured reserve, including Sorsdal and Yeboah

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Allen Park — The Detroit Lions didn’t come out of Friday’s preseason game unscathed, losing four players to injury. The team placed offensive tackle Justin Herron, offensive lineman Colby Sorsdal and tight end Kenny Yeboah on injured reserve, while also waiving running back Jabari Small with an injury designation.

Detroit's woes started before kickoff when Herron suffered an arm injury during pre-game warmups. They continued during the game when third-year guard Colby Sorsdal’s left leg was rolled up on during his first snap of the contest, after coming in to replace rookie Tate Ratledge at right guard in the second quarter.

Sorsdal stayed down for a moment after the play, but finished the series before exiting.

It’s unclear when Yeboah was hurt or whether his transfer to the injured list was related to exiting in the previous contest with a leg injury.

To backfill the losses, the Lions announced the signing of four players on Sunday — offensive linemen Gunner Britton and Keaton Sutherland, tight end Gunnar Oakes and running back Deon Jackson.

Britton went undrafted out of Auburn in 2024, where he started every game at left guard. He also showed some versatility, working a handful of snaps at left and right tackle.

The 6-foot-7, 305-pounder signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted rookie and saw action at left guard and left tackle during the preseason a year ago. More recently, he was with the UFL’s Washington Defenders, appearing in 10 games during the spring season.

Sutherland was also on a UFL roster this spring, playing for the Birmingham Stallions. Prior to that, he bounced around a number of NFL rosters since going undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2019. He’s appeared in just six NFL games since that time, and none since 2021. He logged limited snaps at all three interior spots.

The second Gunnar added Sunday, Oakes, played collegiately at Eastern Michigan. In five seasons for the Eagles, he amassed 56 catches for 621 yards and two touchdowns, with nearly half that production coming during his senior season in 2022.

Oakes is the latest former Michigan Panther to sign with the Lions. That group is headlined by kicker Jake Bates. Oakes appeared in 12 games for the UFL's Panthers last season, including two postseason contests.

Jackson is the best-known player from the group of signings. The former Colts, Browns and Giants runner has 29 NFL appearances under his belt, with more than 500 combined offensive and special teams snaps.

Returning to the losses, it's likely season-ending for the three placed on reserve. Sorsdal, a fifth-round pick in 2023, had been repping with the third-team offense most of camp and wasn't expected to make the roster despite a strong preseason debut.

Yeboah, meanwhile, entered training camp as the presumptive front-runner for the team's third tight end job after signing a one-year contract as a free agent that included nearly $500,000 in guarantees. However, that competition remained wide open entering the game against Atlanta, with Shane Zyltra and undrafted rookie Zach Horton firmly in the mix.

In positive news, safety Morice Norris was not immediately moved to the injured list. The game was eventually stopped in the fourth quarter after Norris was rendered motionless following a hit.

The game was stopped for a dozen minutes while Norris’ neck was stabilized and he was loaded onto an ambulance. He was taken to a local medical facility for further evaluation, and it’s since been reported that he has movement in his extremities. The day after the game, Norris shared on Instagram, I'm all good."