Kellie Rowe

2 weeks ago | prideofdetroit.com | Kellie Rowe

Set Number: X164677 TK1 It may not be this year, it may not be next year, but some are saying an 18-game regular season is on the horizon. Per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, the increase wasn’t necessarily talked about during the NFL’s annual league meetings last week, but it didn’t really need to be.

3 weeks ago | prideofdetroit.com | Kellie Rowe

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images NFL owners have tweaked flex scheduling rules to allow for less advanced notice when deciding whether to flex a Thursday night game, per NFL Media. This will be the third year the NFL is able to flex Thursday night games. Under the first two seasons from 2023-24, a Thursday night game could only be flexed if it was scheduled for Weeks 13 through 17. If that game did get moved, the NFL had to give 28 days notice.

3 weeks ago | prideofdetroit.com | Kellie Rowe

Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images As the Michigan Panthers prepare for their season opener this Sunday, former star kicker turned Detroit Lion Jake Bates is throwing his support behind the UFL. ESPN’s Eric Woodyard put together a great look back on Bates’ journey from the UFL, or United Football League, to the NFL. “That league did for me what it’s built for,” Bates said, per Woodyard. “It’s built to give people a stage and I was able to get that stage and without that I’m not here.

1 month ago | prideofdetroit.com | Kellie Rowe

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Once again the Detroit Lions are in the mix to make some changes in the NFL with three rule proposals. Jeremy’s got a breakdown here to check out first, but a basic overview: one rule would get rid of automatic first downs on illegal contact and defensive holding penalties. Another rule would change playoff seeding to be based on regular-season records — division winners wouldn’t automatically host a playoff game.

1 month ago | prideofdetroit.com | Kellie Rowe

JULIAN H. GONZALEZ, DETROIT FREE PRESS Between free agency and the looming NFL draft just over a month away, most of our Detroit Lions-centric reading involves the future. That’s why I thought you’d enjoy taking a break and checking out a profile on Joe Recknagel — an athletic trainer for the Lions for a whopping 45 years. After being with the Lions since a 1977 summer internship, Recknagel finally retired last month, having worked more than 800 games for the team.