Canadian defender Mathieu Betts has quickly caught the attention of his new head coach as he looks to earn a roster spot in training camp with the Detroit Lions.
“He really took a big step from where he was when he walked in the building and he’s a pretty good athlete,” head coach Dan Campbell told Emory Hunt. “The kid is a crafty rusher, he’s good with his hands, and it’s early. He’s improved, he’s made a ton of improvement, so we’ll see where it goes.”
It didn’t take Detroit long to realize that Betts has the versatility to play more than defensive end, giving him reps at strong-side linebacker. They’ve since reigned things in for fear of overwhelming the native of Montreal, Que.
“We’re just kind of pulling back on him a little bit,” said Campbell. “We feel like he’s thinking a lot because we’ve thrown so much at him, so we want to dial it back.”
Betts signed a one-year, $795,000 contract with the Lions in February, turning down guaranteed money from at least one other NFL team, believing the Lions to be his best shot to get on the field. General manager Brad Holmes praised how hard Betts plays following the signing, saying, “He plays like how we want to play.”
The six-foot-three, 250-pound defender failed to stick in the NFL as a member of the Chicago Bears in 2019 but went on to become one of the CFL’s most prolific pass rushers, recording 86 total tackles, 27 sacks, and five forced fumbles over 39 regular season games. He was named the league’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2023 as a member of the B.C. Lions.
Detroit will play its first preseason game against the New York Giants on Thursday, Aug. 8 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT.
#Lions HC Dan Campbell speaking on how former @CFL sack leader & star EDGE Matthieu Betts is progressing in training camp pic.twitter.com/PK7o6bsRdA
— Emory Hunt (@FBallGameplan) August 5, 2024
