The Lions are releasing punter Jeff Locke, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Locke exits just as Sam Martin gears up for his return.
Locke, 28, spent the first four years of his career with the Vikings. The rival Lions came calling this fall when their punting situation fell apart. First, Martin landed on the NFI list over the summer. Then, Kasey Redfern tore his ACL and MCL during a botched punt-turned-scramble in the preseason.
Locke did a good job of holding down the fort, providing the Lions with quality punting while he also handled kickoffs. In his five games, Locke averaged a career-high 45.3 yards per punt.
Martin, meanwhile, has built a reputation as one of the better punters in the league. The 27-year-old is currently in the midst of a four-year extension inked prior to the 2016 season.
Redfern was injured in week 1, not preseason.
Good luck. Did decent for Detroit in his short tenure.