By Blessing 
Lions Release Ronnie Bell to Make Room for Linebacker
The Detroit Lions made a roster adjustment this week, cutting ties with wide receiver Ronnie Bell after his role slipped down the depth chart. The move, announced Tuesday, cleared a spot on the practice squad that the team quickly used to bring in linebacker Ty Summers. For Bell, it means searching for a new NFL home after showing flashes of promise in the preseason.
Ronnie Bell’s Touch for the End Zone
Bell entered the league in 2023 as a seventh-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers. His rookie campaign turned out productive considering his role — he played in all 17 games, worked heavily on special teams, and chipped in offensively with six receptions for 68 yards. Impressively, half of those catches went for touchdowns, giving him a reputation for timely scoring plays.
But his momentum slowed in 2024. Bell suited up for just nine games, finishing with two receptions for 22 yards. By early 2025, he landed with the Lions hoping to revive his career. As Jeff Risdon of USA Today’s Lions Wire noted, the Michigan alum impressed during preseason action.
“Bell, a former Michigan standout, had a promising preseason with the Lions as he attempted to reboot his NFL career, but a logjam of depth at wide receiver made Bell expendable,” Risdon explained. The roster logjam became obvious when Detroit elevated undrafted rookie Jackson Meeks from the practice squad for last weekend’s win over Cleveland, passing over Bell in the process.
Bell had been efficient in the preseason, catching five of six passes thrown his way for 62 yards. He initially missed the active roster at final cutdowns but was re-added to the practice squad. Once Meeks leapfrogged him, though, it signaled the end of his time in Detroit. The Lions opted to use his slot for defensive depth instead.
Ty Summers Returns to Detroit
Taking Bell’s place is linebacker Ty Summers, who previously spent time with Detroit during the summer of 2024. Though he didn’t make that roster, the Lions are giving him another opportunity.
As Risdon reported, Summers comes off a solid year with the New York Giants, appearing in 16 games with two starts. “The 6-1, 241-pound TCU product made 29 tackles and one PD in a little over 100 defensive snaps in New York,” Risdon wrote. Originally a seventh-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2019, Summers now brings depth and experience back to Detroit.
Derrick Barnes Continues to Shine
While Summers may fill a depth role, the Lions already have a defensive anchor in Derrick Barnes. The team signed Barnes to a three-year extension this offseason, and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has been vocal about his importance.
“I told him, ‘That’s a player I have to have,’” Sheppard told reporters. “I believe this kid can play four, five spots on the football field and do it at a high level. He can play all three stack backer spots, he can play defensive end. So when you’re able to have a player like that, you see them out in the apex in 11-person personnel – which is really a nickel spot.
“So when you have a player like that, it allows you that ability to present the same looks pre-snap and then post-snap be able to play a different variety of coverages, different variety of pressure packages and things like that.”
For Bell, the Lions’ decision is another setback in a young career. For Detroit, it’s a calculated shift to strengthen the defense while keeping competition alive across the roster.