The Detroit Lions announced roster moves on Friday, placing three players on injured reserve.
Offensive guard Ben Bartch, linebacker Devin White, and wide receiver and return man Tom Kennedy were all placed on injured reserve. By rule, all three must now miss at least four games before they would be eligible to return to play.
Lions have placed OL Ben Bartch, WR Tom Kennedy and LB Devin White on Reserve/Injured. pic.twitter.com/8F2j5upJkf
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 16, 2026
Kennedy suffered an MCL injury that requires surgery last Sunday in Detroit's 45-21 win at the Arizona Cardinals. Dan Campbell and the Lions were initially hopeful that Kennedy's injury wouldn't be a long-term concern, but further testing showed otherwise.
"It was significant enough where he’ll be out for the season.
That’s the stinker right there," Campbell said of Kennedy on Monday.
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound receiver and return man had handled all of the Lions' punt return duties prior to his injury, returning six punts for 79 yards. Kennedy's 13.2 yards per punt return ranked sixth in the NFL. Kennedy also averaged 24.9 yards per kickoff return on 10 attempts thus far this season.
White suffered a broken forearm against Arizona that Campbell said requires surgery. Detroit expects White back at some point this season, though.
“We’ll get him back at some point. It’ll just be a while," Campbell said of White.
Per Pro Football Focus, White has logged 67 defensive snaps this season, totaling 10 tackles in three starts.
Lastly, Bartch was inactive in Week 5 with a foot injury. The 6-foot-6, 318-pound lineman took over for Christian Mahogany at left guard in the Lions' opener after Mahogany went down with injury.
Bartch would total 66 snaps in the Lions' 31-30 Week 1 win over the New Orleans Saints, and then he started in Week 2 at the Buffalo Bills before Mahogany made his return from a hip injury against the New York Jets in Week 3.
With these moves, the Lions have three open roster spots. It paves the way for returns to the active roster for both safety Brian Branch and center Cade Mays.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Detroit Lions place trio on injured reserve
