A well-traveled undrafted guard who finally found a home in Detroit after stops with three other NFL teams.
Michael Niese is an interior offensive lineman who took the long road to an NFL roster spot, bouncing between four organizations before sticking with the Detroit Lions. His path reflects the grind of an undrafted free agent trying to carve out a career in the trenches.
Path to the league
Niese played college football at Dayton from 2016 to 2019 before transferring to Temple for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He went undrafted in 2022 and signed with the Denver Broncos, but was waived that August, beginning a journeyman stretch through the Chicago Bears' practice squad and a reserve/future contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Career highlights
Niese signed to the Detroit Lions' practice squad in August 2023 and made his NFL debut that November against Chicago. He has continued to re-sign with Detroit in the years since, most recently agreeing to a one-year contract extension in January 2026.
2025 season recap
After being among the Lions' roster cuts in late August, Niese was elevated to the active roster in mid-November and appeared in eight games down the stretch, providing depth along Detroit's offensive line.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Michael Niese
- ESPN: Michael Niese
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Guard
- Group
- offense
- College
- Temple
- Hometown
- Chesterfield, MO, USA
- Age
- 28
- Status
- active
