Lions DT Nick Fairley says he wants to stay in Detroit

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley was recently demoted to second string, but Fairley is hoping that he will win back his starting job by the end of the preseason.

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley was recently demoted to second string, but Fairley is hoping that he will win back his starting job by the end of the preseason. 

On Wednesday, Fairley said that he's gained between seven to 10 pounds since the start of training camp, something he attributed to poor eating habits. While he's comfortable playing at his current weight of 315 pounds, he said his ideal weight is 305, according to the Detroit Free Press. 

More: Lions' Suh: Fairley more athletically gifted than me

“Really what I plan on doing is just continue to get better as a player and help this team win and just go out there and play my (tail) off,” Fairley said.

C.J. Mosley is now ahead of him on the depth chart, something he insisted did not disappointed him. 

"Hey, I'm a team player," he said. 

The 26-year-old started all 16 games for the Lions last season, registering six sacks and 35 tackles.

- Molly Geary