Stephen Tulloch Released by Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch has been released after an offseason in which his future was called into question. 

Continue for updates.

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Tulloch Released by Lions 

Tuesday, July 5

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network provided the Lions' statement on the move:

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Caldwell Comments on Tulloch's Status

Tuesday, June 14

“I know that’s kind of a different way of asking a question that’s been asked about a thousand times,” head coach Jim Caldwell said, via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. “And I’ll answer it the same way that I answered it previously. I think [general manager] Bob [Quinn] covered that extremely well earlier.”

Rothstein noted that Quinn has only said it's a contractual issue with Tulloch.

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Report: Tulloch Excused from Minicamp

Monday, June 13

Per Rothstein, the Lions "officially excused" Tulloch from the team's mandatory minicamp, which opens this week. 

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Tulloch Comments on Being Excused from Minicamp

Monday, June 13

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Tulloch's Release Has Been Expected for Months

The divide between Tulloch and the Lions has been apparent since February, when NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported (via NFL.com's Chris Wesseling) the team would release him at some point after the new league year began in March.

Tulloch even took to Instagram to offer a farewell to the fans and city of Detroit, expecting to be in a new uniform at some point.

On June 9, Tulloch said during an appearance on Fox 2 in Detroit (via Rothstein) that he was hoping for a resolution in the "next couple of days."

Instead, the 10-year veteran continues to wait for the Lions to make a move everyone has been expecting. A torn ACL suffered in 2014 has taken its toll on Tulloch, as he took on more of a specialty role last year, though he still registered 107 tackles.

He may not be the same player he was during his peak years, but there should be room on some NFL roster for a player who consistently racks up 100-plus tackles every season.