Detroit Lions release WR Denzel Mims midway through preseason camp

Denzel Mims‘ time spent in Detroit came to a close on Friday, as the Lions waived the former Baylor receiver in an injury settlement.

He spent all of a month with the team after the Jets traded him to the Lions. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported the Mims news. He also added some details provided to him from an unnamed source. Rapoport wrote that Mims suffered an ankle injury during practice, then hurt his calf as he was rehabbing the ankle.

“He had impressed in camp and could be an interesting addition when healthy,” Rapoport wrote.

The first injury happened on Aug. 5. It’s unclear when he suffered the second one. He did attempt to come back for a joint practice with the Giants last week. But he didn’t make it through the workout.

The #Lions are waiving/injured WR Denzel Mims after a practice ankle injury led to a calf injury in rehab, source said. He had impressed in camp and could be an interesting addition when healthy.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 18, 2023

The Lions traded for Denzel Mims so that he could work primarily as Jameson Williams‘ backup. The NFL suspended Williams for the opening six games of the season after determining he gambled on sports. Williams still can practice and go through training camp. The regular season game suspension is the main punishment.

Meanwhile, the Jets signed two free agent receivers — Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb — when the team traded for Aaron Rodgers. Mims became expendable.

But because the Lions cut Mims, the team doesn’t need to send compensation back to the Jets. The original trade was conditional on Mims making the final roster. The Jets sent Mims and a seventh-round pick from 2025 to the Lions for a conditional sixth-round 2025 pick.

Reporters started asking about Denzel Mims, Thursday, as they wondered when the receiver would be back at practice. One reporter asked coach Dan Campbell where Mims stood with the team.

“He’s in there, he’s in the room,” Campbell said. But even the head coach acknowledged he may need to do some more receiver shopping in the free-agent market.

“We potentially may need to add somebody after today,“ Campbell told reporters. “We’re looking into that. (General manager) Brad (Holmes) and I have talked about that. We’ll feel a lot better after today’s practice. Because—yes you do, but to do that you have to move on from somebody. And that’s a hard move to. With other areas, other spots. But we’re thinking about it.”

The Jets selected Denzel Mims in the second round of the 2020 draft.