The Detroit Lions released running back Zach Zenner on Tuesday, per the team's official Twitter account.
Zenner, 27, had been with the NFC North franchise since the 2015 season when the Lions signed the South Dakota State product as an undrafted free agent. Zenner, however, is a victim of Detroit whittling down its roster to 53 players.
The 5-foot-11 back appeared in eight games for the Lions last season, starting in one, and rushing for 265 yards, three touchdowns, and averaging 4.8 yards per carry. The Lions also deployed Zenner as an occasional pass-catching threat out of the backfield, where he recorded seven receptions for 56 yards. Zenner's career-high in receptions, 18 in 14 games, occurred in the 2016 season with the Lions.
Last season with the Lions, Zenner was placed on the injury reserve list before being cut and later re-signed by the club, explaining his diminishing role with the team following the 2017 season's limited usage. Zenner recorded 14 carries in eight games with the Lions two years ago.
Detroit appears to be satisfied with a group of running backs, including last year's second-round selection, 22-year-old Kerryon Johnson; veteran C.J. Anderson, who signed last April; and sixth-round selection Ty Johnson, the rookie out of the University of Maryland.
Despite re-signing with a new one-year deal with head coach Matt Patricia's squad in the offseason, Zenner is back on his feet as a free agent with the regular season on the horizon, fewer than two weeks away.
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