Detroit Lions offensive guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai agreed to take a pay cut to stay with the team in 2023. The exact financials of Vaitia's restructured contract with the team weren't disclosed. The 29-year-old former fifth-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016 made 25 starts in his first two seasons with the Lions, but he missed all of the 2022 campaign due to a back injury. He's expected to return in 2023 and should be competing with Graham Glasgow in training camp this summer for the starting job at right guard in Detroit.
Lions Place Halapoulivaati Vaitai On Injured Reserve
The Detroit Lions recently placed starting offensive guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai (undisclosed) on Injured Reserve with an undisclosed injury, meaning he'll miss at least the first four games of the regular season. The Lions will determine at some point if he'll even be able to return at all in 2022. It's a potentially serious blow to the Lions' offensive line this season. The 29-year-old former fifth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016 has started 25 games for the Lions in the last two seasons. With Vaitai out for the foreseeable future, Tommy Kraemer and Drew Forbes will battle for the starting right guard position on the O-line.
The Detroit Lions agreed to a five-year, $50 million deal with offensive tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai on Monday, according to a source. He should start at right tackle in 2020 and beyond in Detroit and help protect quarterback Matthew Stafford. Vaitai has made just 20 starts in 55 career games but was highly coveted by several teams on the open market. He was pretty efficient on the right side of the Eagles offensive line in 2019.
Halapoulivaati Vaitai
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