The former Illinois Fighting Illini star has landed on his feet after he was cut in favor of Joshua Dobbs.
The Detroit Lions and their head coach Dan Campbell were 30 minutes away from making the Super Bowl in January 2024 but lost to Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, dashing the Super Bowl dreams of millions of long-suffering fans.
Since then, the Lions have worked feverishly to get back to the NFC mountaintop with Campbell and star quarterback Jared Goff leading the way.
The search for Goff's new backup has also come into focus lately after Teddy Bridgewater's abrupt retirement, which left undrafted rookie and former Illinois star Luke Altmyer to battle it out with free agent signee Joshua Dobbs.
This past weekend, Campbell chose Dobbs over Altmyer and placed the latter QB on waivers, a tough break for a player who earned the Lions coach's praise and started the final preseason game.
Altmyer cleared waivers before receiving good news from the team that cut him that could shape his NFL career prospects going forward.
Aug 22, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Luke Altmyer (2) passes the ball against the Washington Commanders in the second quarter at Ford Field. Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Altmyer Joins 13 Others on Lions Practice Squad
Altmyer joined 13 other players on the Lions' practice squad, giving him a chance to continue his career with the team that gave him a chance to play in the NFL's preseason.
The Lions have now added 14 of 16 practice squad players including the former Fighting Illini signal caller, whom Campbell has praised throughout the preseason.
Other notables include cornerback Nick Whiteside, who showed glimpses of being a playmaker last season, and wide receiver Lucky Jackson, who made big plays at Indianapolis in Week 3.
Altmyer threw an interception and fumbled in the Lions' final preseason game, a road win over the Indianapolis Colts.
He was outshined by Dobbs, who threw for over 100 yards and two touchdowns, despite Altmyer getting the start.
Campbell has said in the past that getting more practice reps is the biggest key to Altmyer's development, an opportunity he will now receive in a different scenario entirely.
Altmyer's Future NFL Prospects
Altmyer has a strong chance to make an NFL roster in the coming years but has a long way to go in his development judging by his preseason performances in Detroit.
He threw for nearly 300 yards across three games, starting two of them, but also threw three interceptions and was sacked seven times.
Campbell noted that Altmyer's processing speed and decision-making speed must improve if he is to become the best player he can be at the pro level.
By diagnosing plays quicker and getting rid of the ball faster, Altmyer can avoid taking unnecessary sacks in future games and become a better game manager, an attribute that made him a winning player for Bret Bielema's team at the college level.
As Sauce Gardner's interception of Altmyer showed in the Lions' final preseason game, there is a fine line between getting rid of the ball safely and just getting rid of it in a prompt fashion.
Altmyer has a blueprint for what he must work on going forward, and the support of Campbell.
Now, it's up to him to make the most of his opportunity, and to stay ready for a potential call-up, as one of the Lions practice squad's newest members.
