Isaiah Buggs made waves Sunday with a cryptic tweet about situations changing, then made headlines Monday when he revealed the Lions had informed him he won't play in Thursday's season opener against the Chiefs.
Buggs, who re-signed with the Lions this offseason on a two-year, $6 million deal a year after starting 13 games at defensive tackle, told reporters that "things change, relationships change" and suggested his benching was related to the fact that he missed voluntary workouts this spring.
"I think so. But I had a baby so I couldn’t be here and my family comes first. So anything my family needs, that’s what it’s going to be. And I can’t help that if (the coaches) can’t accept that, but I definitely think me not being around in the spring played a part in it," Buggs told the Free Press. "That’s what it is."
If you ask Dan Campbell, the explanation is far simpler: Buggs had just been outplayed by his peers in training camp and the preseason, including fellow nose tackle Benito Jones, and the Lions want the best players on the field in Kansas City. They have a much healthier and deeper defensive line than last season.
"Look, we base everything off the tape, period," Campbell said Tuesday. "I’ve spoken to Buggs and that stays between us, but yeah, the guys that are best prepared to go this week, for this game, those are the guys that’ll be up.”
Buggs, who played the third most snaps on Detroit's defensive line last year, had hinted at his benching Sunday by tweeting, "I’m Good But Just Know Situations Change." He downplayed that post Monday, saying it was "nothing dealing with football, nothing dealing with here." But he did seem caught off guard by the coaches' decision.
"Played an important role last year, leading (into) this year, you think you’re going to be that guy, you’re thinking they’re all in with you and then, boom, in the snap of a finger it’s like that," Buggs said.
But again, if you ask Campbell, Buggs can reclaim his role as quickly as he lost it. All he has to do is put better football on tape.
“Absolutely, and he’s been told that," Campbell said. "It’s no different than any of these players, and that includes practice-squad players. We tell them, ‘You have an opportunity, make the most of it. And you gotta show us in practice.’ ... Any player that’s on this roster has an opportunity.”
Just like any player on the roster is liable to be benched.