The Detroit Lions are reportedly bringing back C.J. Moore after his reinstatement from a gambling-related suspension.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Detroit Lions have re-signed veteran safety and special teams ace C.J. Moore to a one-year contract. Moore was recently reinstated to the NFL following an indefinite suspension in 2023 due to a violation of the league’s gambling rules.
Moore originally signed with the Lions after going undrafted in 2019 and showed enough promise on special teams that he earned a spot on the 53-man roster. Moore stayed with the Lions through the 2022 offseason, when was released with an injury settlement as the Lions needed a roster spot. Once healthy, Moore briefly joined the Houston Texans practice squad but urged his agent to open a conversation with the Lions to get him back in Detroit.
“Everybody was like, ‘Man, you got opportunities to go somewhere else,’ and I did,” Moore said following his return to Detroit. “I was literally telling my agent, ‘I want to come back to Detroit,’ because I know the type of confidence we have in this locker room.”
In the 2023 offseason, Moore once again re-signed with the Lions, this time on a two-year deal worth $4.5 million with $3 million guarantees. A significant offer for a player who was primarily a special teams player.
It's a fake for the first down!#MINvsDET | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/WSOKmbnt2d
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 11, 2022
Unfortunately for Moore, he and four other Lions were found to have violated the NFL rules on gambling, and all were suspended. Because Moore was reportedly betting on NFL games (full details have not been released), Moore received an indefinite suspension, before being reinstated in mid-April.
The Lions have always valued players who excel on special teams, but they were also in the market for a veteran safety. Of the Lions’ current safety group, all of them are still currently on their rookie deals, with the oldest player being just 25 years old.
This time of the year, NFL teams are allowed to roster up to 90 players, and following the addition of reported 21 rookies in and after the draft, the Lions still have three spots remaining after the re-signing of Moore. That could mean the Lions are still in the market for more veteran depth at safety or another position of need.
