Lions place Emmett Cleary on reserve/retired list

The Detroit Lions lost some depth along the offensive line on Tuesday when the team announced Emmett Cleary has been placed on the reserve/retired list.

Cleary, 27, signed with the Lions last September, after he had been waived by the Cowboys. The 6-foot-7, 320-pounder appeared in seven games in 2017, including starting in place of T.J. Lang in the team’s Week 6 loss to New Orleans.

Had he remained on the roster, Cleary would have competed for a backup role. The Lions return starting tackles Taylor Decker and Rick Wagner, as well as top backup Corey Robinson.

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Cleary made headlines off the field last year when he became the second active player, along with offensive lineman Eric Winston, to commit to donating his brain to CTE research.

“Everyone in football should be supportive of this research,” Cleary said in the announcement through the Concussion Legacy Foundation. “I feel like you have responsibility to your teammates, other players in the league, and the next generation of football players to support the research. I would encourage anyone who loves the game to get involved with brain research.”

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

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