After Day 3 Detroit Lions training camp practice, Alex Anzalone spoke with the press and was open about his present situation.. Anzalone expressed his wish to retire as a Lion, but acknowledged he “has no idea” when he’ll be back as he recovers from a hamstring injury and deals with an expiring contract. He summarized it all simply: “This is a strange situation.”
On Wednesday, events took a slightly more unusual turn. As reported by the NFL transaction wire, the Lions invited experienced linebacker Kyzir White for a free agency visit.
Who is Kyzir White?
White played as the Cardinals’ starting MIKE linebacker and green dot for each of the past two seasons under Jonathan Gannon, having followed him from Philadelphia, where he was a starter on their team.Super BowlSecond-place team. There, he shared responsibilities with T.J. Edwards between the WILL and MIKE linebacker positions.
White would bring significant experience, excitement, and a touch of unpredictability to the Lions’ linebacker unit. Weighing 234 pounds, White is expected to lean more into the WILL linebacker position similar to Anzalone within the Lions’ defense, although he could also act as a very effective backup for Jack Campbell in the MIKE linebacker role.
Production and skillset
White is a formidable tackler, ranked:
- 15th in the league last year with a total of 137 tackles
- 8th in 2022 with 144 total tackles for theChargers
- 12th in total tackles (481 overall) during the last four seasons
He functions more as a run-and-chase linebacker rather than a downhill runner and possesses strong coverage skills from his time as a college safety at West Virginia. Notably, assessing his 2024 performance needs to consider the weak group of defensive tackles in front of him on the Cardinals, aside from Roy Lopez, who is a known presence, as the entire unit was completely overhauled this offseason.
Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon expressed his admiration for White after bringing him back in 2024:
The variety he offers, you know, obviously the engine and the intensity, the ability to run, obviously a well-rounded player, extremely intelligent.
This spring, Gannon expressed the difficulty of replacing White in terms of leadership, indicating that he would easily adapt to the Lions’ team atmosphere.
Consequences for the Lions’ linebacker unit
If signed, White would be the 10th linebacker on the Lions’ current 90-player roster. However, only eight are expected to be healthy right now, as Malcolm Rodriguez (expected to start the season on PUP) and Anzalone are both out. The addition would result in seven linebackers competing for six MIKE and WILL positions across the first, second, and third-team defenses during practices (with Derrick Barnes and Trevor Nowaske playing SAM linebacker). This would offer plenty of players for training camp rotations, with extra depth once Anzalone comes back.
Possible overlap with Zach Cunningham
A White signing would intensify rumors regarding Anzalone’s “disappointing” status and lead to some overlap with the newly signed Zach Cunningham. Dan Campbell commended Cunningham on Monday morning for his agility, coverage abilities, and physicality. Both Cunningham and White are veteran linebackers who are likely past their prime; neither has been a primary special teams contributor in recent seasons (although Campbell mentioned that Cunningham is receiving special teams duties in training camp), and both can play MIKE and WILL roles interchangeably. However, White is a year younger and has more recent substantial defensive playing time compared to Cunningham.
Bottom line
Bringing in Kyzir White could enhance the Lions’ football performance. He is a driven player capable of taking on any role, and his addition would strengthen the linebacker position—a lesson learned from last season when the Lions lost Barnes, Anzalone, Rodriguez, and Jalen Reeves-Maybin between Weeks 3 and 13.
Nevertheless, although White would enhance the unit, his arrival would have minimal impact on resolving the enigma of the Lions’ linebacker situation as they approach 2025.
