Former Cal WR Chad Hansen Signs With Lions
Former Cal wide receiver Chad Hansen, who had a rebirth in the NFL last season with the Houston Texans, signed with the Detroit Lions on Friday.
The Lions made the announcement just after the completion of voluntary workouts. They waived wideout Jonathan Adams and signed Hansen to a contract.
This will give Hansen an opportunity to reconnect with his former Cal teammate Jared Goff, a quarterback who was acquired by the Lions in an offseason deal that sent Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams.
Goff and Hansen played together in 2015, Goff's final season at Cal. Hansen had 19 receptions for 249 yards and a touchdown that season. Hansen's big year for the Golden Bears was 2016, when he had 92 catches for 1,242 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Hansen was drafted by the New York Jets in fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and he had nine receptions for 94 yards as a rookie.
He then spent time with the Patriots, Saints, Titans and Broncos without getting any playing time, but emerged as a viable NFL receiver in 2020 after being claimed off waivers by the Texans in 2019.
Hansen was on the Texans' practice squad to begin the 2020 season, but was elevated to the active roster in December for games against the Colts (twice), Bears, Bengals and Titans.
He recorded five catches for 101 yards in his first game against the Colts, added seven receptions for 56 yards against the Bears, the recorded two receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown in another game against the Colts. He finished the season with 17 catches for 236 yards in five games, including two starts.
However, Hansen was released by the Texans in March of 2021.
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Cover photo of Chad Hansen by Trevor Ruszkowski, USA TODAY Sports
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