During the Detroit Lions' 52-6 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11, fans may have noticed the No. 47 Honolulu Blue running all over the field on special teams. That was Ezekiel Turner, added to the active roster after a stint on the Lions' practice squad.
Turner had a very impressive performance on the coverage units at Ford Field. The lightweight LB (he's listed at 214 pounds) technically made his Detroit debut against Houston, facing the team in Week 10 with which he began the 2024 season as a practice squad upgrade. He only played on special teams against the Texans, but Turner snuck into defense a few times against the Jaguars after being signed to Detroit's 53-man roster.
Turner, 28, spent his first six NFL seasons primarily on special teams with the Arizona Cardinals. He was essentially Arizona's version of long-time Lions special teams guard and backup LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin.
As special teams coordinator Dave Fipp explained, Turner was a natural and obvious player to be inserted into the lineup when Reeves-Maybin was sidelined with an injury. The veteran Reeves-Maybin was Placed on IR before week 10 with a neck injury.
“He really has a very similar game to Jalen Reeves-Maybin and they both play the personal protector, they actually both played in the same punt system,” Fipp told reporters. “Us and Arizona kind of use the same terminology, the same system and are very similar in that regard.”
The similarities go beyond just colloquialism, and that helped Fipp quickly integrate Turner into Reeves-Maybin's important role on special teams.
“They're also very aggressive with counterfeiting and all that stuff, so he has experience doing all that for them,” Fipp explained. “The way he covers and plays the game is very similar to Jalen Reeves-Maybin, so it was like a natural introduction and a perfect fit.” So it was an easy decision for us. He is super smart and intelligent. I have already built up a lot of confidence and trust in him in a very short time. The special teams coach from Arizona (Jeff Rodgers) texted me and said, 'I don't know if I trust another guy more than him,' and that's a guy I respect quite a bit.”
With Alex Anzalone now out, Turner could be called upon to do more defensive work in Week 12.
