Lions Waive S Saivion Smith

The safety's comeback bid from injury has come up short.

The Detroit Lions have waived safety Saivion Smith with an injury settlement, the team announced Wednesday. 

Smith suffered an injury in the Lions' second preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and was held out of practice this week. 

The safety had been working toward a comeback, after suffering a scary neck injury against the New England Patriots in Week 5 of the 2022 season. However, his bid to make the roster has come up short. 

Smith had played a total of 58 defensive snaps in the two preseason games. He earned a cumulative Pro Football Focus defensive grade of 61.1 for his performance.

He played collegiately first at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and then at Alabama. In his one season with the Crimson Tide, Smith intercepted three passes, and made 60 total tackles.  

The Lions have gotten deeper in the secondary throughout the offseason, with C.J. Gardner-Johnson and rookie Brian Branch joining the fold. Both have stood out throughout training camp. 

In four professional seasons, Smith has played a total of 10 games, including three with the Lions over the last two seasons. 

Detroit will have to make decisions on other members of the secondary, such as Ifeatu Melifonwu and Brady Breeze, in the days leading up to final cuts on Tuesday, Aug. 29. 

Melifonwu has also been dealing with an injury suffered in the loss to Jacksonville. He was held out of the team's live scrimmage Tuesday, and could miss the preseason finale against Carolina on Friday.