Lions Turn to Joe Bachie and K.J. Britt After Devastating Linebacker Injuries

With the injuries to Jack Campbell and Jimmy Rolder, the Detroit Lions have brought two linebackers onto the active roster: Joe Bachie and K.J. Britt. In addition to the injuries to Campbell and Rolder, Detroit also lost linebacker Devin White to a broken arm in week five, sidelining him for the majority of the season. However, Dan Campbell has said he expects White to return at some point, although it won’t be anytime soon. Detroit also signed linebacker Owen Pappoe to the practice squad.

Britt began his NFL career as a fifth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. As a rookie, he immediately carved out a role on special teams, recording at least 18 snaps in 11 of his 17 games. He saw his first defensive action in Week 7, logging eight snaps and recording two tackles.

Before entering the NFL, Britt played four seasons at Auburn, appearing in 42 games. He recorded 64 solo tackles and 13 tackles for loss, including 10 during his junior season. He also finished his college career with 2.5 sacks.

In 2025, Britt logged 149 snaps and earned a 58.7 overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF). However, his most impressive mark was a 79.2 run-defense grade. In 2024, Britt appeared in 11 games and logged 613 snaps, recording 53 solo tackles and one sack. However, he struggled according to PFF, earning a 44.6 overall defensive grade that ranked 81st out of 83 qualified linebackers.

Overall, I expect Britt to serve as a depth piece for the Lions rather than someone who immediately receives significant playing time.

Detroit also added another linebacker to the active roster in Joe Bachie. A former Michigan State Spartan, Bachie entered the NFL in 2020 and has spent time with several teams throughout his career. He has appeared in 68 games, making seven starts. Throughout his NFL career, Bachie has recorded 77 total tackles, including 38 solo tackles and 39 assisted tackles.

In 2021, Bachie logged 160 defensive snaps and earned a 51.9 overall defensive grade. His playing time decreased significantly over the following two seasons, as he recorded just 14 snaps in 2022 and 10 in 2023.

In 2024, Bachie played 36 snaps and earned a 63.7 overall PFF grade. His playing time increased in 2025, when he recorded 157 snaps. However, he struggled to produce consistent results, earning a 45.4 overall defensive grade and a 52.5 run-defense grade. His best mark came as a pass rusher, where he earned a 72.4 grade.

Similar to Britt, I expect Bachie to be a depth option rather than someone who receives a significant workload.

Moving forward, I expect Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, and Trevor Nowaske to handle the majority of the workload at linebacker throughout the remainder of the season. However, there is still a possibility that Detroit could pursue a trade to improve its linebacker room.

The Lions will now turn their attention to the Miami Dolphins, who currently sit at 1–6. This matchup could provide Detroit with a good opportunity to evaluate its linebacker depth and see which players perform best with increased opportunities.