The Detroit Lions resigned tight end Brandon Pettigrew on Friday. The deal is for four years and $16 million, with $8 million guaranteed.
Resigning Pettigrew is a good thing for the Lions because they need him. If they hadn’t resigned him, then they would have had to find another tight end or they wouldn’t have a lot of depth at the tight end position. Joseph Fauria and Michael Williams, who have less than two years of experience, would have been the Lions only tight ends if Pettigrew had left and they didn’t get another tight end, ESPN notes. Pettigrew had tested the free agent market before deciding to stay, with the New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, and Kansas City Chiefs showing interest in him.
The reason that Pettigrew decided to stay in Detroit was his teammates, especially Matthew Stafford.Stafford and Pettigrew were both drafted 2009.
''We got drafted together,'' Pettigrew said. ''We've already got that going, and I think that's important. I love the city. I'm grateful for being able to be here. The city is going through change, as is the organization. It's just an honor to be a part of that.''
Pettigrew is coming off of his worst season since his rookie year. Last year he had 41 receptions for 416 yards and two touchdowns, according to the Associated Press. His best season was in 2001 when he had 83 receptions for 777 yards and five touchdowns, which are all career-highs. Pettigrew has 284 receptions for 2,828 yards and 16 touchdowns in his five-year NFL career.
It will be interesting to see if Pettigrew can get back to his 2001 form.