Damone Clark, veteran LB, signs 1-year deal with Detroit Lions

Story by

Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press

Wed, Mar 18, 2026 ·

1 min read

The Detroit Lions added more veteran insurance for their linebacker room Wednesday, March 18, signing Damone Clark to a one-year deal.

Clark appeared in 14 games with the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans last season, playing mostly on special teams.

At 25 years old, he gives the Lions another young linebacker who can compete for rotational snaps on defense and contribute on special teams.

Houston Texans linebacker Damone Clark reacts to his tackle against the Indianapolis Colts in the first half at NRG Stadium in Jan. 4, 2026, Houston.

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The Lions return starters Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes , but let Alex Anzalone walk in free agency.

They also re-signed Malcolm Rodriguez and Trevor Nowaske to one-year deals.

Rodriguez is the leading candidate to fill the No. 3 linebacker job , though Nowaske has played as a pass rusher the past three seasons and Clark, a fifth-round pick out of LSU in 2022, was a 17-game starter for the Cowboys in 2023 and has started 26 games in his four-year career.

Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Bluesky , X and Instagram at @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Damone Clark, veteran LB, signs 1-year deal with Detroit Lions