Detroit, MI

Detroit Lions’ Trevor Nowaske ‘back where we belong’ after brief detour to Arizona

Published

1 year ago

September 21, 2024

Press Room

Detroit Lions’ Trevor Nowaske ‘back where we belong’ after brief detour to Arizona

The deal was done, or as close to being done in the NFL as it could be.

The Detroit Lions waived Trevor Nowaske two days before their game against the Dallas Cowboys in December and planned to re-sign him to the practice squad the next day.

Nowaske, who grew up in metro Detroit, played at Saginaw Valley State in college and signed with the Lions as an undrafted free agent, was on board with the move. He enjoyed his time with the Lions, liked the team and his linebacker room, so he drove to the practice facility to sign his deal, only to be told there was a wrench in the works.

ON THE MOVE: Dan Campbell’s opinion of Lions fans hasn’t changed after harassment made him sell house

A team had claimed Nowaske off waivers — the Lions said they didn’t know who at the time — and Nowaske had to go home, talk to his agent and get on a plane for his next team.

A few hours later, Nowaske was in Arizona. On Sunday, when the Lions visit the Cardinals, Nowaske’s experience in the circle of NFL life will be complete.

“It kind of feels like I just took a little vacation, to be honest,” said Nowaske, who rejoined the Lions as a waiver claim from the Cardinals in August. “I walked back in this place and nothing’s changed. Linebacker room’s (about the same). Everyone’s welcomed me with open arms. Good to be back. Family’s happy to be back here. Not a lot of traveling for them, which is nice. But yeah, honestly I walked in for the first day and was kind of wondering what to expect but literally it feels like I picked up right where I left off, so happy to be back.”

The Lions jumped at the chance to add Nowaske to their linebacker room when he was one of the Cardinals’ final cuts at last month’s roster deadline.

Like the Lions eight months earlier, Arizona tried to sneak Nowaske through on waivers only to find his special-teams ability was in demand around the league.

“We were disappointed when we lost him last year,” Lions general manager Brad Holmes said last month. “We were just in one of those spots where you’re trying to sneak a guy through, and I don’t know if there’s any sneaking anymore in this league, but we just couldn’t. We were trying to get him back on practice squad and people had their eyes on him. And I’m not surprised because he does have a lot of upside with his size, he’s got straight-line speed, he’s tough, he’s physical, he has instincts for special teams.

“I think that’s one of the things that, you look at a special teams player, you look at size, speed, trying to get downfield, being able to break down open field, but he has instincts. He’s got the spatial awareness to understand where the ball’s coming. And so, all those things, it makes him have a bright future at special teams and he’s still going to be growing as a linebacker as well.”

Nowaske has been inactive the first two games this season, but could have a role Sunday if Alex Anzalone is unable to clear concussion protocol before the game.

More: Lions’ Dave Fipp: ‘A lot of things I could have done different’ on costly penalty vs Tampa

He told the Free Press last week his roundabout journey from Detroit to Arizona to Detroit again was a lesson in the business side of the NFL, but one he’s grateful for.

“I’m from here, went to college here, this is my first NFL team, I had never been outside of Michigan living-wise, so it was definitely, for me, that was probably the hardest part,” Nowaske said. “It’s a three-hour time difference in Arizona. Last year, I was living with my parents (when I played for the Lions) and now all of a sudden I’ve got to find an apartment, kind of all these new things.

“But I learned a lot through the process. I learned it’s a business and you got to kind of just go with the flow and roll with the punches and whatever happens, happens. Like I said, we’re back where we belong.”

Nowaske has nothing but good things to say about his time in Arizona.

He didn’t appear in a regular-season game for the team, but had a strong camp, by all accounts, and played for a special teams coordinator, Jeff Rodgers, who has a similar background to Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp. Both count the now-retired Larry Mac Duff as one of their coaching influences.

When the Cardinals waived him last month, Nowaske said he never considered the possibility of being reclaimed by the Lions. He planned to re-sign with Arizona, but this time, he was more prepared for his move.

“Best-case scenario it was here,” Nowaske said. “I know they value me here, I know I have good relationships here. I love the culture and what we’re doing here, so hell yeah, I’m pumped that they see a future with me and, yeah, believe in me enough to claim me and put me on the active roster and whatever I can do to help, that’s my next step. So I definitely appreciate it. Like I said, I knew I had good film out there and I know last year I built good relationships in this building so I was very, very happy when I found out I got claimed here.”

Dave Birkett is the author of the new book, “Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline.” Preorder it now from Reedy Press.

Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.

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Detroit, MI

Vigil, protest held for Renee Nicole Good at Detroit’s Clark park

Published

8 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Vigil, protest held for Renee Nicole Good at Detroit’s Clark park

The name Renee Nicole Good bounced off the buildings of southwest Detroit as hundreds marched on the evening of Friday, Jan. 9, following Good’s fatal shooting by an immigration agent in Minneapolis earlier in the week.

A candlelight vigil was held at 6 p.m. at the city’s Clark Park in memory of Good, before attendees took off marching down Vernor Highway.

As of 7:30 p.m., the mass crowd had reached Cavalry Street, about half a mile away from the park, and turned, yelling “What do we want? Justice ” and calling for ICE’s ousting from communities.

Good, 37, was in her car when she was shot in the head on Wednesday, Jan.7, by a federal immigration officer in south Minneapolis. She leaves behind three children, ages 6, 12 and 15.

The shooting was recorded by witnesses and heightened political and community tensions over federal immigration enforcement as part of President Donald Trump’s nationwide immigration operations. The Trump administration has since said the shooting was done in self-defense, USA TODAY reports.

Protests have occurred in cities across the U.S. since Good’s death, including gatherings in Michigan, and additional demonstrations are scheduled throughout the weekend.

This is a developing story.

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Detroit, MI

Debating Mike McDaniel’s fit for Detroit Lions OC job

Published

20 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Debating Mike McDaniel’s fit for Detroit Lions OC job

But we also can’t ignore the drastic fall-off from the Dolphins’ offense. Partially because of injuries to Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill over the past two seasons, the Dolphins have finished 22nd and 25th in scoring offense in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Injuries can be used as an excuse, but the greatest coordinators find a way through the adversity.

Beyond that, there are questions about his philosophical and schematic fit. While the Lions have built their offenses on grit and physicality, McDaniel seems to favor speed and finesse. But maybe that’s exactly what the Lions need. Detroit has two speedy players in Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs, who could probably be utilized more creatively, and it’s hard to imagine anyone better than McDaniel to do so.

McDaniel also has a very long coaching history with a lot of different coaching influences and schemes—including his closest coaching guru: Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers head coach has a scheme that is both more congruent with what the Lions do and much more adaptable.

On this EMERGENCY PODCAST, our crew debates the fit of McDaniel in Detroit, along with our thoughts on the Lions’ other known candidate: Commanders quarterbacks coach David Blough.

Before that, Erik Schlitt, Ryan Mathews, and I discuss our biggest takeaways from Lions general manager Brad Holmes’ end-of-season press conference, including the future of David Montgomery, whether Holmes really took accountability for his mistakes, and our confidence in him moving forward.

You can catch our discussion in the embedded podcast below or on any podcasting platform you’d prefer. Just search “Pride of Detroit.”

You can also catch video of the show over on our YouTube pages. Here are the links:

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Detroit, MI

Tarik Skubal, Tigers can’t agree on 2026 salary. Here’s what happens

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Tarik Skubal, Tigers can’t agree on 2026 salary. Here’s what happens

The Detroit Tigers and left-hander Tarik Skubal did not agree to terms on a one-year contract for the 2026 season before the 8 p.m. deadline Thursday, Jan. 8, to exchange salary figures in the arbitration process.

Skubal filed at $32 million; the Tigers filed at $19 million.

It’s a difference of $13 million.

An arbitration panel will review the case during a hearing scheduled for late January or early to mid-February. The arbitrators must determine whether Skubal is worth more or less than the $25.5 million midpoint. If he’s worth more, they will select his $32 million proposal; if less, they will select the Tigers’ $19 million proposal. The panel isn’t allowed to choose a salary in between $19 million and $32 million.

The Tigers operate as a file-and-trial club in salary arbitration under president of baseball operations Scott Harris, meaning there won’t be further negotiations with Skubal regarding a one-year contract. A multi-year contract could still be negotiated, but it’s highly unlikely.

Skubal – represented by agent Scott Boras – reaches free agency after the 2026 season. The 29-year-old is positioned to become the first pitcher in MLB history to receive a $400 million contract.

If the two sides were to reach an agreement before a hearing, it would likely be a one-year contract with a player option, thus maintaining Skubal’s path to free agency in the 2026-27 offseason.

The reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young winner was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to receive $17.8 million in his third and final year of salary arbitration. He previously earned $2.65 million in 2024, then $10.15 million in 2025.

Why couldn’t the Tigers and Skubal agree on a salary for 2026?

The arbitration case for Skubal is unusually complex, thanks to a rarely used provision highlighted by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Because Skubal has more than five years of MLB service time, he isn’t limited to comparing himself only to past arbitration-eligible players. Instead, he can compare himself to any player in baseball.

Those unique rights allow Skubal – who has five years, 114 days of service time – to point to MLB’s highest-paid pitchers (such as Max Scherzer’s $43.3 million per year from 2022-24 or Zack Wheeler’s $42 million per year from 2025-27), arguing that his elite performance warrants a salary in that range – not in the $17.8 million range, as projected by MLB Trade Rumors.

That’s what pushed the Tigers and Skubal to an arbitration hearing.

[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]

The current record for the largest one-year arbitration contract belongs to outfielder Juan Soto, who agreed to $31 million with the New York Yankees for the 2024 season.

If Skubal wins the arbitration hearing, he will surpass Soto and claim the new record with his proposed $32 million salary. If Skubal loses, then he will earn the $19 million salary proposed by the Tigers.

There are two other arbitration records on the line.

The highest-paid arbitration-eligible pitcher belongs to right-hander David Price, who earned $19.75 million with the Tigers in 2015 – his fourth year in the arbitration process as a Super Two qualifier. The largest raise for an arbitration-eligible pitcher belongs to right-hander Jacob deGrom, who surged from $7.4 million to $17 million – an increase of $9.6 million – with the New York Mets in 2019.

Those records for pitchers will belong to Skubal – but only if his proposed $32 million salary is selected by the arbitration panel. He will fall just short of the records if the panel selects the Tigers’ proposed $19 million.

Skubal is the best pitcher in baseball.

More notably, he is on a Hall of Fame trajectory.

In 2025, Skubal registered a 2.21 ERA with 33 walks (4.4% walk rate) and 241 strikeouts (32.2% strikeout rate) across 195⅓ innings in 31 starts. He made the All-Star Game for the second time in his six-year MLB career.

Skubal became the first back-to-back AL Cy Young winner since right-hander Pedro Martínez in 1999-2000, leading the AL with a 2.39 ERA in 2024 and a 2.21 ERA in 2025.

The Tigers haven’t been to an arbitration hearing since right-hander Michael Fulmer in 2019.

Fulmer lost the case, receiving the Tigers’ proposed $2.8 million salary rather than his requested $3.4 million. Before that hearing, the Tigers hadn’t participated in an arbitration hearing since 2001 – and the Tigers haven’t lost a case since 2000.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon during the season and Tuesday afternoon during the offseason on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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