Lions turning to this veteran to replace Tom Kennedy at punt returner

ALLEN PARK — The Detroit Lions have found their replacement for Tom Kennedy at kick and punt returner.

Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said Thursday, Oct. 22, the Lions are "probably" turning to veteran DeAndre Carter, who on Monday signed with Detroit's practice squad. Carter, 33, entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2015 out of Sacremento State. The Lions are his 11th team.

The Lions chose Carter over a handful of other options on their practice squad, including Dominic Lovett, Lucky Jackson and Lawrence Keys, each of whom have some level of experience at returner, whether that be in the NFL or the United Football League.

Kennedy went down with a season-ending knee injury in a win over the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 11.

Carter has 155 career punt returns for 1,508 yards, good for an average of 9.7 yards. As a kick returner, where he'll play next to Jacob Saylors with the Lions, he has 144 career attempts for 3,399 yards. Since the NFL changed its rules in 2024 to add the "dynamic kickoff," Carter has averaged 29 yards across 26 returns.

"I think DeAndre Carter has a lot of experience, he'll probably step in and return punts for us and kickoffs for us in the game (against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Oct. 25), along with Saylors, and we'll just keep going as it's been," Fipp said. "Obviously, Lovett factors in to some degree. Lucky Jackson's had some experience doing it a little bit. None of those guys the same type of experience that DeAndre's had."

Fipp and Carter overlapped with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018, when Fipp was the special teams coordinator and Carter made the initial roster coming out of training camp. After Darren Sproles got hurt, Carter began returning punts. He made seven appearances with the Eagles that season.

"I think he had gotten cut by like four teams," Fipp recalled of the 2018 season. "He had bounced around and kept on fighting, trying to make it. I think we were in Week 4 or something like that, I believe it was when Darren Sproles went down. He came in, we're playing against Tennessee, and he did what he does.

"He catches the ball, he competes, he gets downhill, he's quick, very competitive. His story is like the ultimate story of just overcoming all of the obstacles, and he plays the game that way. He loves playing football. I've always respected his game."

The Lions had Carter and Steven Sims, another veteran, in for tryouts Oct. 15. Fipp said it wasn't him who initially brought up Carter's name, but rather Detroit's pro personnel department. But of course, "I know a lot about him," Fipp said, "and I think he'll do a great job for us."

Carter also offers the ability to play receiver in a pinch. He's caught 117 of his 171 career targets for 1,331 yards and six touchdowns. His best season came with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2022, when he had 46 catches for 538 yards and three scores. In his next three seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders (2023), Chicago Bears (2024) and Cleveland Browns (2025), he had 111 yards on 13 receptions.

There are currently three open spots on the Lions' active roster. Two of those are reserved for safety Brian Branch (Achilles) and center Cade Mays (wrist), both of whom are expected to be activated ahead of the Packers game. The third opening could go to Carter, or the Lions could choose to use a temporary elevation to bring him up from the practice squad.

▶ Kickoff: 4:25 p.m. Sunday, Ford Field, Detroit

▶ Series: Green Bay leads, 108-78-7 (Last meeting: Packers win, 31-24, on Nov. 27, 2025, in Detroit )