The Lions have signed free agent QB Tom Savage, per Tim Twentyman of the team’s official website (via Twitter).
Savage has had a tough go of it since entering the league as a fourth-round pick of the Texans in 2014. He served as a backup in his rookie campaign, missed all of 2015 with a shoulder injury, worked primarily as a backup to Brock Osweiler in 2016, and finally got his chance to start in 2017. But he made it through just the first half of the first game of the 2017 season, and he was benched at halftime in favor of Deshaun Watson, whom the team had drafted in the first round that year. He reentered the starting lineup when Watson went down with an ACL injury, but he ended up putting together a 1-6 record and a 71.4 quarterback rating.
Savage signed with the Saints last April but was cut before the start of the regular season, and he bounced on and off of the 49ers’ roster for several months. He finished out the 2018 campaign with the Bengals, who claimed him off waivers in November, but he did not see a regular season snap last year.
For his career, Savage has a 2-7 record and has thrown for five touchdowns against seven interceptions. With Detroit, he will compete to serve as Matthew Stafford‘s backup. The only other QB currently on the Lions’ roster is Connor Cook, though the club may select a passer in this month’s draft.
As Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com observes, the Savage signing means that the Lions will not be bringing back last year’s No. 2 signal-caller, Matt Cassel.
Wow huge signing, this is crazy
LOL
I thought we were going to get a solid backup this year……… this isn’t any better the Matt Cassel. Bummer
Best part about him is his name
Start printing up those Super Bowl tickets.
The NFL should have an award for players with the perseverance that Savage has shown. He could probably wallpaper his house with all the contracts he has signed. It would be a great story if he could ever actually stick with a team and lead them to the playoffs.
It’s not really perseverance, it’s just a team not wanting him anymore and he needs more money so he signs another backup role
Yeah, it’s all about the bosses’ needs and the money and not the result of any effort on his part, physically or mentally, or the agents working for him. Same with Aldrick Robinson, Ted Larsen or any other journeyman. Their willingness to stick with a career has nothing to do with THEIR desire, THEIR willpower, THEIR determination to work through the pain, or their family’s willingness to pick up and move with him. It’s just and ONLY ever the money. Perseverance? YOU piss on it.
Awards for sarcasm would be worth exploring as well…lol.