The Detroit Lions shed their laughingstock label over the previous two seasons. They just missed the playoffs in the 2022 season and then nearly reached the first Super Bowl in franchise history last season, winning the NFC North and reaching the conference championship game before squandering a 17-point lead to lose to the San Francisco 49ers.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker and two-time Super Bowl champion Shaquil Barrett has applied for reinstatement to the NFL months after retiring from the league in July, his agents told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Assuming the NFL grants Barrett’s reinstatement, he could be back on the field soon. The Miami Dolphins signed Barrett to a one-year contract in March, so they still hold his rights. If he returns this season,

Shaquil Barrett has reversed course again and reportedly filed paperwork to be reinstated, four months after he abruptly retired in July. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher has applied to make an immediate return to the NFL.