Ex-Lions safety gets 12-game suspension

Free agent safety Tracy Walker, a former starter for the Detroit Lions, has been suspended 12 games by the NFL for the 2025 season, per Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. The suspension, issued by Commissioner Roger Goodell, was made official via the NFL transaction wire, but no reason was disclosed for the disciplinary action.

Walker, 30, remains eligible to sign with any NFL team and participate in training camp and preseason activities, including games. However, his suspension takes effect following the 53-man roster cutdown on August 26, 2025, and he will not be eligible to return to action until Week 13.

Walker was originally drafted by the Lions in the third round (82nd overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Louisiana. He made an immediate impact as a rookie, appearing in all 16 games. In 2019, he became a full-time starter and posted a career-high 103 tackles, including 82 solo, along with eight passes defended, one interception, and one forced fumble.

From 2020 to 2021, Walker shifted to strong safety and maintained high productivity with nearly 200 tackles in 30 games, and logged the first two sacks of his career. His performance earned him a three-year, $25 million contract extension with Detroit in 2022.

However, his momentum was derailed by a season-ending Achilles injury just three games into the 2022 season. Upon returning in 2023, Walker played all 17 games (six starts), recording 59 tackles, one sack, and two pass breakups, but had fallen behind younger talents like Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, along with free agent C.J. Gardner-Johnson, on the Lions’ depth chart.

In February 2024, the Lions released Walker as a cost-saving move, freeing up his projected $7.95 million base salary for the year. The San Francisco 49ers signed him in training camp, but he was cut during final roster decisions. He later joined their practice squad briefly before being released in September 2024.

Walker has not played in a regular-season game since 2023 and has remained a free agent since his release from San Francisco. A 12-game suspension just ahead of the season all but ends Walker’s chances of signing with a new team. At 30, and now unavailable until late in the year, it’s likely his NFL career is over.