It’s been a week of roster moves when it comes to the Detroit Lions.
The division-leading Lions on Tuesday picked up former Pro Bowl edge rusher Za’Darius Smith in a trade with the Cleveland Browns, hoping to bolster a defense that is missing injured star Aiden Hutchinson.
At MLive, we have a roster change, too. Kyle Meinke, who has covered the Lions for 11 years, is moving on for personal reasons. His last day is Friday.
“My life has always been more than football, more than the job. I've really enjoyed leaning into it and putting a lot into it over the years,” he told me this week. “But life is short and there's many things I want to do.”
The timing may seem strange, given that Meinke has endured some terrible teams, some mediocre coaches and a frustrated fan base. Now the team is 7-1 and sniffing a Super Bowl berth.
It seems like the perfect time to be an NFL writer. But Meinke feels a pull to lead a different kind of life as 2025 approaches. He’s moving to Germany, where his partner lives and where he has good friends. Meinke says Germany has felt like a second home; in college he was an exchange student there.
And while he will miss Detroit, the Lions and his colleagues at MLive, he knows this is the right time to leave.
"I think Lions fans are going to really enjoy the ride the rest of the way,” " he said. “I just have other things in my life I want to pursue now. I have dreams and aspirations for adventure and love, and I'm pursuing it.”
We are going to miss Meinke but we wish him all the best. And like the Lions, we have a great group of players ready to step in.
You already know Ben Raven and Kory Woods. Raven has been Meinke’s co-host on the Dungeon of Doom podcast. Woods has been our third writer, typically behind the scenes, giving additional depth to our reporting.
Starting on Sunday, Raven and Woods will be the next dynamic duo for Lions coverage.
“While we're going to miss Kyle, I am thrilled at the opportunity to step into that role and keep our standard as high as possible,” said Raven, who is in his sixth season covering the Lions for MLive.
Raven and Woods say they look forward to developing their own team personality and adding their voices to stories and podcasts, as well as communicating directly with fans and readers.
“I want to include more player interviews into our mailbag and postgame podcasts again and continue to see what more we can bring to the Dungeon of Doom podcasts,” Raven said. “I'm excited about diving into more analysis and showing off my voice in terms of in-depth breakdowns, column opportunities and proving my knowledge of this team I've spent the last six years covering.”
Woods has a deep list of sports contacts and personal background in Detroit that he will leverage for more fan-based stories, such as when Woods tracked down the owner of the car on the Sports Illustrated cover that featured Lions players earlier this season.
“The Lions fan base is filled with diehards who love this team,” said Woods. “My aim is to not only deliver the news they need but also offer insights they didn’t know they needed.”
While Meinke will no longer be part of the coverage trio, any gaps will be filled from MLive’s stable of professional and college beat writers, so the coverage shouldn’t skip a beat. And in some ways, Raven noted, Meinke’s spirit will remain in the press box.
“I am thankful that he showed me the ropes, whether in Allen Park or when traveling around the country, and he definitely did his best to leave the beat in a great spot,” he said.
“Most importantly, he taught me to always grab an extra plate from the media food offerings before the game starts in case that's the last meal we see for a long time. It's the little things.”
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