Lions Signing Veteran LB

Lions make addition to defense, special teams units.

Tennessee Titans linebacker Ben Niemann (47) stretches during an OTA practice at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, June 14, 2023. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA

The Detroit Lions have made an addition to their defense as offseason workouts come to a close.

The organization has signed linebacker Ben Niemann during the final week of organized team activities. The signing was first reported by The Detroit News.

In a corresponding move, the Lions waived undrafted free-agent linebacker Steele Chambers.

Niemann has played six NFL seasons after going undrafted out of Iowa. His first four NFL campaigns were spent with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was with the Arizona Cardinals in 2022, then the Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos in 2023.

The Iowa product has played 86 career games, with 21 starts over his six-year career. With the Chiefs, he played in 62 games with 12 starts. Meanwhile, Niemann played all 17 games with nine starts for the Cardinals in 2022, then logged seven games with the Broncos in 2023.

Defensively, Niemann has 239 career tackles, with two sacks and eight tackles for loss. He is listed as an inside linebacker.

With the Broncos, he was exclusively a special teams player, and notched 134 snaps in that area. Niemann has played 1,380 special teams snaps in his career, which gives the Lions more experience in a phase they greatly value.

Detroit has a returning special teams All-Pro in linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin, who earned second-team AP honors and first-team NFLPA All-Pro honors for his work in that area.

Though Niemann did not suit up for the Titans in 2023, he was with the team throughout training camp. This gives him a connection to new Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams, who previously held the same role with the Titans.

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