Tom Kennedy

Detroit Lions
Wide Receiver #11
Detroit Lions
Wide Receiver #11

Tom Kennedy News

Lands futures contract

The Lions signed Kennedy to a reserve/futures contract Monday, Tim Twentyman of the team's official site reports.

Analysis: Kennedy accumulated the best stat line of his career over seven games with Detroit this season, catching eight of 15 targets for 141 yards. The 26-year-old has now appeared in 19 regular-season games over the last two years with the Lions, so it's not surprising to see the team wants to keep him around heading into the offseason. Kennedy will look to carve out a bigger role among this well-stocked receiving corps heading into the 2023 campaign.

Jan 9, 2023 2:27 PM EST


Sticking with Detroit

The Lions re-signed Kennedy to the practice squad Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Analysis: Kennedy was ruled a healthy scratch in back-to-back weeks before he was waived Saturday ahead of Sunday's win over the Jets. However, the 26-year-old cleared waivers Monday and will return to the Lions' practice squad, where he spent the first four weeks of the season. Kennedy has caught eight of 15 targets for 141 yards over seven games this season, and he should be first in line to be elevated from the practice squad should any of Detroit's wideouts miss time due to injury moving forward.

Dec 19, 2022 3:32 PM EST



Waived Saturday

Kennedy was waived by the Lions on Saturday, Jeff Risdon of USA Today reports.

Analysis: Kennedy appeared in seven games for the Lions this year, catching eight of his 15 targets for 141 yards. Kennedy has not played in either of the past two games, as he found himself buried in the depth chart after Jameson WIlliams (knee) made his debut.

Dec 17, 2022 3:12 PM EST


Remains out

Kennedy (coach's decision) is inactive Sunday against the Vikings.

Analysis: Kennedy will sit for the second consecutive week, as the 26-year-old has dropped on the team's positional depth chart upon the activation of Jameson Williams to the 53-man roster. He'll work to earn another chance with the active roster Week 15 against the Jets.

Dec 11, 2022 9:16 AM EST


Not suiting up Sunday

Kennedy (coach's decision) is officially inactive for Sunday's game versus Jacksonville.

Analysis: Kennedy was active the past four games and had three catches for 73 yards during that stretch, but he won't be suiting up for Sunday's contest. Detroit finally has its full complement of top receivers with rookie Jameson Williams (knee) active and poised to make his NFL debut.

Dec 4, 2022 9:13 AM EST



Sets up game-winning touchdown

Kennedy caught one of two targets for 44 yards during Sunday's 31-30 win over the Bears.

Analysis: Kennedy didn't do any damage until less than four minutes were left in the fourth quarter when the trusty wideout hauled in a 13-yard pass on 3rd-and-8 and turned it into a 44-yard gain that set up Detroit's game-winning touchdown. However, Kennedy has now made five game appearances in 2022 but has yet to produce a respectable stat line despite seeing at least 50 percent of the snaps per contest. Even if Josh Reynolds (back) continues to miss time, Kennedy will not be worthy of much fantasy consideration.

Nov 15, 2022 4:42 PM EST


Likely to serve as No. 3 receiver

Kennedy is expected to retain a role as the Lions' No. 3 receiver in Sunday's game against the Bears with Josh Reynolds (back) ruled out for a second consecutive contest, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.

Analysis: During last week's 15-9 win over the Packers, the Lions were without Reynolds and played their first game since trading away top tight end T.J. Hockenson. The absences of Reynolds and Hockenson created opportunities for Kennedy and multiple other pass catchers to step into expanded roles behind No. 1 target Amon-Ra St. Brown, but none was able to deliver a notable fantasy performance. Kennedy ended up serving as the No. 3 wideout behind St. Brown and Kalif Raymond and was on the field for 67 percent of Detroit's offensive snaps, but he finished with a 1-16-0 receiving line on four targets. Kennedy could be headed for a similar snap share and target count once again in Week 10, but he can't be counted on to turn in useful numbers.

Nov 11, 2022 2:34 PM EST


Blanked by Patriots

Kennedy saw one target but did not catch a pass during Sunday's 29-0 loss to New England.

Analysis: With Amon-Ra St. Brown back in a limited capacity from an ankle sprain, Kennedy saw a little less playing time than last week but still logged over half of the offensive snaps. However, like the rest of his teammates not named Josh Reynolds, Kennedy wasn't able to do much in the box score. With both St. Brown and DJ Chark (ankle) potentially returning to working order in the near future, Kennedy could easily go back to being a healthy scratch when the Lions come out of their Week 6 bye.

Oct 10, 2022 8:02 AM EST


Signed to active roster

The Lions signed Kennedy to their active roster from the practice squad Wednesday.

Analysis: With Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) and DJ Chark (ankle) both ruled out, Kennedy was elevated to the active roster for the team's Week 4 loss to the Seahawks. Quintez Cephus (foot) had to leave the game early, so Kennedy ended up handling a significant workload, catching three of five targets for 54 yards. The statuses of St. Brown, Chark and Cephus for Week 5 remain unclear, but Detroit will add Kennedy to its active roster as insurance and will be confident thrusting him into game action after his solid performance against Seattle.

Oct 5, 2022 11:18 AM EST


Bumped down to practice squad

Kennedy reverted to the Lions' practice squad Monday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

Analysis: Kennedy got the bump up to the active roster for Sunday's loss to the Seahawks with Amon-Ra St. Brown and DJ Chark both out with ankle injuries. The 26-year-old ultimately handled a significant workload after Quintez Cephus suffered an in-game foot injury. On the day Kennedy ended up seeing five targets, bringing in three of them for 54 yards. Depending on the status of St. Brown, Chark and Cephus for Week 5 against the Patriots, Kennedy may earn another elevation to the active roster.

Oct 3, 2022 4:56 PM EST


Joins amidst injuries

Kennedy was elevated to the Lions' active roster Saturday.

Analysis: The Lions announced DJ Chark (ankle) would be unavailable Saturday as the wide receiver joins an alarmingly long list of Lions star players unable to suit up for Sunday's contest. Kennedy had some fun moments towards the end of the 2021 season including three separate games with at least two targets, but expect the slot receiver to factor in sparingly with Josh Reynolds (ankle), Kalif Raymond and Quintez Cephus soaking up the majority of the wide receiver snaps.

Oct 1, 2022 2:31 PM EST


Gets practice squad chance

The Lions signed Kennedy to the practice squad Wednesday, Tim Twentyman of the team's official site reports.

Analysis: Kennedy's strong preseason with Detroit earns him a chance to continue developing with the team. He suited up for 12 games with the Lions last season, in which span he secured six of 10 targets for 54 yards.

Sep 1, 2022 9:36 AM EST


Waived by Lions

Kennedy was waived by the Lions on Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Analysis: Like last year, Kennedy put together another strong preseason, but this time around he will not survive roster cuts. The Lions seem set to roll with Kalif Raymond at punt returner and Godwin Igwebuike at kick returner, leaving Kennedy without a spot on special teams in which he could have earned his keep. However, his preseason production could earn him a look from another team, and the Lions at least gave Kennedy the courtesy of a head start to find a new home ahead of Tuesday's roster deadline.

Aug 29, 2022 2:50 PM EST


Comes back to Earth

Kennedy caught three of six targets for 15 yards during Sunday's 19-9 loss to the Steelers.

Analysis: Kennedy again saw plenty of volume, so this relatively low production was disappointing after he racked up both a 100-yard and a multi-touchdown game in Week 2 and 3 of the preseason, respectively. While he is a strong candidate to survive roster cuts nonetheless, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Kennedy would presumably be entering the year buried on the depth chart and will need to impress in order to stick around once Jameson Williams (knee) is ready to go.

Aug 29, 2022 7:22 AM EST


Keeps rolling with two TDs

Kennedy caught five of seven targets for 24 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 27-26 preseason win over the Colts.

Analysis: Kennedy scored from five yards out on the final play of the first half and found the end zone again on a 10-yard catch in the third quarter. Between this effort and his 104-yard outing against Atlanta in the preseason opener, Kennedy has certainly bolstered his chances of making the Lions' roster. He'll get one more chance to make his case when the Lions travel to Pittsburgh on Aug. 28 for their preseason finale.

Aug 20, 2022 1:37 PM EST


Tops century mark

Kennedy racked up 104 yards on eight receptions during Friday's preseason game against Atlanta.

Analysis: Kennedy saw over three quarters of action thanks to the absences of Quintez Cephus (leg) and Josh Johnson (undisclosed). While the 26-year-old Bryant product still sits firmly on the roster bubble, Kennedy could not have made a better case for a back-end roster spot as Detroit assesses its backups in the continued absence of Jameson Williams (knee) - especially given the lack of depth at slot receiver behind Amon-Ra St. Brown. It is possible that Kennedy could again see considerable snaps in the next exhibition game Aug. 20 in Indianapolis depending on the health of his teammates.

Aug 13, 2022 8:19 AM EST


Gets new deal

Kennedy signed a one-year contract with the Lions on Monday, Howard Balzer of SI.com reports.

Analysis: Kennedy appeared in 12 games with Detroit last season, recording six catches on 10 targets for 54 yards. The 25-year-old has been in-and-out of the Lions' organization since 2019 and has yet to make an impact. He'll work to change that in 2022.

Apr 18, 2022 4:52 PM EST


Throws long TD in season finale

Kennedy caught two of two targets for 16 yards while completing his only pass for 75 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 37-30 win over Green Bay.

Analysis: Kennedy finished a distant fourth among Lions receivers in offensive snaps but made his mark on a trick play when he hit Kalif Raymond for a long touchdown pass in the first quarter. However, the 5-foot-10 slot receiver didn't do much else, and he will finish the 2021 campaign with six catches on 10 targets for 54 receiving yards. The soon-to-be exclusive-rights free agent will now enter the offseason with a decent chance to return to a depth role for Detroit in 2022.

Jan 12, 2022 12:59 PM EST


No catches on three targets

Kennedy saw three targets but did not record a catch during Sunday's 51-29 loss to Seattle.

Analysis: Kennedy was in line for an expanded role with both of Kalif Raymond and Josh Reynolds on the COVID list. While he logged a season-high 24 offensive snaps, Kennedy was clearly the fourth receiver behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, KhaDarel Hodge and Trinity Benson. With his playing time only set to decrease should Raymond or Reynolds gain medical clearance in the coming week, Kennedy will not be an advisable fantasy option when Detroit hosts Green Bay in Week 18.

Jan 3, 2022 11:04 AM EST


Expanded role likely awaits

Kennedy is expected to see an increased role within Detroit's receiving corps Sunday against the Seahawks with both Josh Reynolds (illness) and Kalif Raymond (illness) on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Analysis: No. 1 wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown and running backs D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams are probably the safest bets to earn targets from quarterback Tim Boyle, but the likes of Kennedy, KhaDarel Hodge, Trinity Benson and Javon McKinley could all see increased snaps with two starting receivers out of the lineup. Kennedy led the quartet with a 31 percent snap share and two targets in the Week 16 loss to Atlanta, so he's probably the most likely candidate of that group to produce a useful stat line.

Jan 2, 2022 5:46 AM EST


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