ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Stephen Tulloch has been on the Detroit Lions roster for months now, even though the franchise told him he won’t be part of the team’s plans in 2016.
And despite knowing that, the Lions have kept Tulloch on the roster for reasons apparently only known to the Lions brass and potentially Tulloch and his agent. On Friday, Lions coach Jim Caldwell joined the people unwilling to explain Tulloch’s stay on Detroit’s roster when he was asked about it before the start of rookie minicamp.
“I think Bob [Quinn] has talked to you at length about that one,” Caldwell said. “Know him and love him, but I think Bob’s answered that question.”
Quinn has and he hasn’t. At the owners meetings in March, Quinn told reporters there were “contractual issues” the franchise was working out with Tulloch. Seven weeks later, Tulloch remains a Lions player.
The franchise paid him a $500,000 roster bonus in March. The large chunk of free agency has come and gone. The NFL draft has come and gone. The Lions even released three other players this week to make room for undrafted free agents, but kept Tulloch on the roster.
After the draft, Quinn said he had no update on Tulloch’s status and Caldwell evaded the question Friday -- so the wait continues for Detroit’s leading tackler last season.