The Detroit Lions are gaining a reputation for taking players who fell on hard times, either through injury or the positional fit, and giving them new life in the NFL. Last year, the Lions took chances on a few players like Isaiah Buggs, who earned a new contract with Detroit, and DJ Chark, who will probably earn a nice contract after a bounce-back season. John Cominsky fell into that bucket and not only became a strong contributor for the Lions but felt right at home in Detroit, and they rewarded him with a two-year contract.
Heading into last year after being cut by the Atlanta Falcons before training camp, Cominsky was unsure where he would end up. However, several teams did put in waiver claims for the former Division II player, with the Lions at the top of the wavier claim pecking order were rewarded him, and he almost became a favorite amongst everyone overnight. He was an underdog player with a hard work mentality, making it easy to root for him to succeed and fit right in with the culture Detroit is trying to build, and it was something he wanted to continue to be part of.
“It’s a culture thing. It’s a cliched thing, but until you’re in this building, you don’t really understand the family dynamic that exists,” Cominsky told reporters. “I think it’s probably the furthest thing from business that you can get in the NFL. That family-oriented feel, everything is upfront, there’s no shade anywhere. You come in, and you know what you’re going to get.
Everybody’s on the same playing field, coaches make you feel like they’re no better than you. Everybody’s on the same line, everyone’s here to win. It’s a great feeling to come in, you don’t have that pressure, and you can just come in and be yourself. It’s a culture thing for me.”
Considering how many teams were after him during waiver claims and the season he produced, even with a club on his hand, it would be interesting to see what kind of market he would garner.
Although early in the offseason, Cominsky did speak about how he wanted to stay in Detroit, he understood the business side of the deal and was going to test the market. For all intents and purposes, it looked like if Detroit wanted him, he would return, which is exactly what happened.
Cominsky:
“We wanted to get what we deserved, but we also wanted to be here at the same time. There was a little balance there and Detroit called us with something solid and Coach Campbell sent me a text saying, ‘Dying to have you here.’ I told my wife, ‘That’s it, I’m going to Detroit.’
So, here we are. It was just a simple text. It’s from the head man himself, Dan Campbell. I mean, that’s the leader around here. If he sends you a text like that, it’s like, OK, this organization wants me back for sure. I was already leaning here 99.9%, and that text, I was just like, all right, OK, that’s pretty cool, Dan Campbell sent me a text.”
Could Cominsky have earned a higher contract? Probably, but I am guessing if Detroit were near anything to what other teams were offering, he would stay where he feels at home. He was able to rejuvenate his career with the Lions, and now Cominsky and the Lions are ready to run it back and take the league by storm.
I will do whatever this team needs to win ball games. https://t.co/xYQajVbk2z
— John Cominsky (@J_Cominsky) March 15, 2023
