During the Detroit Lions' 52-6 blowout win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11, fans might have noticed No. 47 in Honolulu Blue racing all over the field on special teams. That was Ezekiel Turner, signed to the active roster after a stint on the Lions' practice squad.
Turner had a very impressive game on coverage units in Ford Field. The lightweight LB (he's listed at 214 pounds) technically made his Detroit debut against Houston, facing the team he began the 2024 campaign with in Week 10 as a practice squad elevation. He only played on special teams against the Texans, but Turner snuck in a few defensive reps against the Jaguars after being signed to Detroit's 53-man roster.
The 28-year-old Turner spent his first six NFL seasons playing primarily special teams for the Arizona Cardinals. He was effectively the Arizona version of longtime Lions special teams stalwart and reserve LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin.
As special teams coordinator Dave Fipp explained, Turner was a very natural and obvious player to get into the lineup when Reeves-Maybin went down with an injury. The veteran Reeves-Maybin was placed on I.R. ahead of Week 10 with a neck injury.
"He really has a very similar game to Jalen Reeves-Maybin and they both play personal protector, they've actually both played in the same punt system," Fipp told reporters. "Us and Arizona kind of use the same terminology, system, very similar in that regard."
The similarities extend beyond just the vernacular, and that has helped Fipp integrate Turner quickly into Reeves-Maybin's important shoes on special teams.
"They are also very aggressive with the fakes and all that stuff, so he has experience doing all that for them," Fipp stated. "Just the way he covers, the way he plays the game is very similar to Jalen Reeves-Maybin, so it was like just a natural slide in and fit. So, it was an easy decision for us. He's super smart and intelligent. I've got a lot of confidence and faith and trust in him already, in a very short period of time. The special teams coach from Arizona (Jeff Rodgers) sent me a text message and said, 'I don't know if I trust another guy more than I trust him,' and that's a guy I respect quite a bit."
With Alex Anzalone now out, Turner could get called upon for more defensive work in Week 12.