Who Should I Start? Tyler Conklin or Ian Thomas

Friday, March 13, 12:49 PM

Free-agent tight end Tyler Conklin is signing an undisclosed one-year deal with the Detroit Lions on Friday, according to his agent, Mike McCartney. Conklin will join the Lions, his fourth different team, for his ninth NFL campaign in 2026. The 30-year-old veteran played for the Los Angeles Chargers last year and caught only seven of his 10 targets for 101 yards and no touchdowns in 13 regular-season games (five starts) as a depth option. The former fifth-round pick (157th overall) by the Minnesota Vikings in 2018 out of Central Michigan will likely be in a depth role again in his move to Motown, behind both Sam LaPorta (back) and Brock Wright (neck), leaving him avoidable in all fantasy football leagues. Conklin had a career-high 621 receiving yards in 2023 with the New York Jets, and he's never scored more than four times in a single season. He's caught a total of 270 passes in his career for 2,645 yards and 11 touchdowns across his eight seasons.