The Detroit Lions added three offensive linemen to their practice squad on Wednesday, including former UAB standout Chris Hubbard.
Hubbard had been out of the NFL since the New York Giants’ 2024 season ended. He became an unrestricted free agent on March 12 and had gone unsigned until Wednesday.
Lions left guard Christian Mahogany broke a bone in his left leg in Detroit’s 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, and offensive tackles Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell missed practice on Wednesday because of injuries.
The Lions added Hubbard, Jack Conley and Netane Muti to the practice squad for offensive-line depth on Wednesday.
Each NFL team can have a practice squad of 16 players. Members of the practice squad do everything the players on the active roster do except play in games. But two practice-squad members can be elevated to active status for each game, although no player can be elevated from the practice squad more than three times in a season.
After spending five weeks on the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad last season, Hubbard joined the New York Giants’ active roster on Oct. 18 and played in eight games, with three starts, in the remaining 11 weeks of the 2024 campaign.
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Since entering the NFL from UAB as an undrafted rookie in 2013, Hubbard has played in 102 regular-season and six playoff games. Hubbard has started 61 NFL games – 51 at right tackle, four at right guard, three at left tackle and three as an extra lineman in lieu of a tight end.
After making his first four career starts for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2016, Hubbard started 10 games in 2017 before leaving for the Cleveland Browns via free agency.
Hubbard played all 1,091 of Cleveland’s offensive snaps at right tackle in 2018 as he started 39 NFL games from 2017 through 2019 before enduring four injury-affected seasons.
Hubbard finished 2020 on injured reserve after hurting his knee in his fifth start of the campaign, played in only one game in 2021 because of a torn triceps muscle and played in four games in 2022 while dealing with an elbow injury.
Hubbard started nine of the Tennessee Titans’ first 10 games at right tackle in 2023 before a biceps injury ended his season prematurely.
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The Lions play the Washington Commanders at 3:25 p.m. CST Sunday at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.