The Detroit Lions are looking to add a third quarterback to the roster behind starter Jared Goff and backup Kyle Allen, and their plan is to do so sooner than later.
At this point, the options in free agency are relatively slim. However, a small handful of players with QB3 chops remain available. One of the more suitable among them is Mike White, most recently of the Buffalo Bills.
White has appeared in 15 NFL games, starting seven of them — all for the New York Jets in 2021 and 2022 — and earning a record of 2-5. He has completed 61.4 percent of his passes for 2,247 yards, nine TD passes and 13 INTs.
The Dallas Cowboys selected White in the fifth round of the 2018 draft out of Western Kentucky, though it took him more than three years to earn his first regular-season snap. After a two-year stint with the Jets, White joined the Miami Dolphins in 2023, for whom he appeared in six games. He then caught on in Buffalo last season but played in just one contest.
The Bills released White on August 25 as part of their efforts to cut the roster to 53 players. The 30-year-old quarterback has earned just shy of $10 million over the course of his professional career.
Lions Leadership Has Announced Plans to Add Third QB Prior to Start of Season
Detroit cut ties with former third-round draft pick Hendon Hooker (2023) earlier in the offseason with the intention of replacing him with a specific player.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes explained the team’s initial plans in that regard “fell through” before expressly announcing its intentions to add a third signal-caller during a press conference on August 28.
“I thought we had another plan in place that didn’t happen — it fell through. So that’s why you’ve got to just keep things close to his vest, because you never know until it happens,” Holmes said. “But we’re still working through actively. It could happen today, it could happen tomorrow. We will add another quarterback.”
Lions Have Several Moderate Options at QB3, Including Desmond Ridder
White is one of the most seasoned options still available to the Lions, though there are some other players who could make sense.
Jeremy Reisman of “Pride of Detroit” authored a list of potential names on Monday, September 1.
“With a clear preference toward veteran quarterbacks capable of running an NFL offense over a developmental type, here are some free agent options that fit that prototype,” Reisman wrote, “former Lions Nate Sudfeld and Tim Boyle, or non-former Lions like John Wolford (Goff’s former teammate), Taylor Heinicke or Mike White.”
Another option is Desmond Ridder, a third-round pick out of Cincinnati in 2022. Ridder has 18 NFL starts to his name (8-10) with a 63.6 percent career completion rate and a positive TD-to-INT ratio (16 TDs to 14 INTs).
Ridder has started at least one game in all three of his professional seasons, two of which came with the Atlanta Falcons before he caught on with the Las Vegas Raiders last year.
