Defensive back Avonte Maddox is set to join the Detroit Lions, according to a post on his girlfriend’s Instagram. Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Enquirer reports that the contract is for one year.
A Detroit native, Maddox will now have the opportunity to play for his hometown team.
Maddox completed his seventh season with the Eagles in 2024, playing all 17 games for the first time in his career and starting three of them. He recorded 20 tackles (nine solo) during the regular season and added one tackle in the postseason, including a crucial fourth-down stop in Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Over the course of his career, Maddox has appeared in 81 games and started 41, accumulating 270 tackles (200 solo), 13 tackles for loss, 36 passes defended, four interceptions, three sacks, eight forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.
Born and raised in Detroit, Maddox starred at Martin Luther King High School, excelling as a wide receiver with 35 receptions for 956 yards and 14 touchdowns during his senior year in 2013. He also made four interceptions, including two pick-sixes, on defense.
Maddox played four seasons at the University of Pittsburgh from 2014 to 2017, totaling 183 tackles (136 solo), 13.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, eight interceptions, 42 passes defended, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. He earned Third Team All-ACC honors in his senior year, recording a team-high 11 passes defended and three forced fumbles, ranking second in the ACC.
Maddox was part of a group of former Pitt players who helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl this past season, alongside quarterback Kenny Pickett and cornerback A.J. Woods (who was on the practice squad). Maddox and Pickett both played pivotal roles in a memorable 2017 win for Pitt, where they upset No. 2 Miami. Pickett threw for nearly 200 yards and a touchdown while running for two scores, while Maddox had two sacks, including a game-winning strip sack in the fourth quarter.
Maddox will join safety Erick Hallett II (also a former Pitt player) on the Lions’ roster.