On February 20, the Detroit Lions bid farewell to one of their most seasoned defensive players, safety Tracy Walker.
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions are releasing Walker in order to free up approximately $5.5 million in salary cap space. Selected by the Lions at No. 82 overall in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft, the 29-year-old has spent his entire career with the organization and has not played for any other team.
Over the course of six seasons, Walker commenced 43 out of 79 games for the Lions. He recorded a total of 398 combined tackles, which comprised 16 tackles for loss and 7 quarterback hits. Additionally, he tallied 23 pass defenses, 4 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles.
In 2023, Walker began the season as a starter in six games before transitioning into a special teams role in Week 14.
The Lions opted to release Walker just one day after NFL.com’s Matt Okada highlighted the safety as a potential candidate for roster cuts in the NFC.
