Detroit Lions

Lions to Release 2009 1st-round Pick Brandon Pettigrew

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

According to multiple sources, the Lions are releasing former 1st-round pick, tight end Brandon Pettigrew.

A report says the Lions have cleaned out Brandon Pettigrew's locker and will officially release the tight end soon https://t.co/zZyJAfApUr

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 8, 2016

Pettigrew came into the league with extremely high expectations in 2009. He was the 20th overall pick and was projected as high as the top-ten. While never elite, he was more than solid for a number of years. He finishes his 8-season stint in Detroit with 2,965 yards and 17 touchdown receptions. He was one of Matthew Stafford’s favorite targets early in his career but hasn’t been the same over the past couple of seasons.

Pettigrew was often injured and somewhat underutilized since the team drafted Eric Ebron in 2014. His best seasons were from 2010-2012 — when he totaled 2,066 yards and 12 touchdowns. In 2011, during Detroit’s 10-6 Playoff season Pettigrew tallied a career-best 777 yards and 5 touchdowns.

He was known more for his versatility as a guy with a 6-foot-5, 275 lb frame to take on linebackers and defensive ends. He never seemed to satisfy fans who had unrealistic expectations for the type of tight end from the start. For a team that was 0-16 the previous year, his pro-readiness coming out of Oklahoma State was extremely appealing in 2009.

He was also known to drop the occasional ball but helped a talent-deprived team get back to the Playoffs as a key player. The Lions drafted Eric Ebron to be that receiving tight end that Pettigrew once was. After a rough start, Ebron has been solid over the past season and a half. People wondered if Pettigrew was part of Detroit’s long-term plans when Ebron was taken. Since the 2014 draft, Pettigrew has totaled just 137 yards and a touchdown.

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