Lions deal receiver Tate to Eagles
It’s a subtraction to the lineup that will add nothing to the Detroit Lions’ hopes of reaching the NFL playoffs this season.
Hours before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, the Lions traded receiver Golden Tate to the Philadelphia Eagles for a third-round pick in 2019 NFL Draft. It’s a curious move considering the club bolstered its roster last week by acquiring defensive tackle Damon Harrison from the New York Giants for a fifth-round draft pick. “We wish Golden and his family the very best in the next step of his career,” Lions general manager Bob Quinn said in a statement released by the team.
Tate is in the final season of a five-year contract worth $31 million he signed with the Lions after winning a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks.
The 30-year-old Tate was leading the Lions with 517 receiving yards on 44 catches with three touchdowns this season.
In less than five seasons with Detroit, the five-foot-10, 197-pound Tate was fifth on the club’s all-time reception list with 416, seventh with 4,741 yards receiving and 15th with 22 touchdowns.
Since signing on with the Lions, Tate has topped all NFL receivers in yards after the catch with 2,736. “For more than four years, Golden displayed an unwavering commitment to not only his coaches and teammates, but also the city of Detroit. The impact he made on and off the field set an example for our team and serves as a testament to his character,” Quinn said. Tate, who was a Pro Bowl selection in 2014, spoke recently about his hopes to remain with the Lions and said the two sides were getting closer to an extension. Instead, he joins the defending champions. “On the plane to Philadelphia, reflecting on my time in Detroit,” Tate said on his Twitter account. “Can’t thank the Lions organization enough for the commitment they made to me and my family. I’m proud to say that every time I stepped onto the field in Honolulu blue, I gave everything I had. Thank you to the Ford family, my coaches and my teammates.”