Lions reportedly add UDFA quarterback

The Detroit Lions are reportedly signing former Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer as an undrafted free agent, per Tom Pelissero.

Altmyer originally enrolled at Ole Miss, but after getting beat out by Jaxson Dart in 2022, he transferred to Illinois and became a three-year starter for the Illini. In those three years, he completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 7,607 yards, 57 touchdowns and 21 interceptions—and a 7.7 yards per attempt average. His production increased every year, and his senior year was statistically his best. He completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 22 touchdowns and just five interceptions, as he led the Illini to a respectable 9-4 record, including a win over Tennessee in the Music City Bowl.

As a draft prospect, Altmyer arm strength is okay, but not special. He’s been praised for his smarts and he’s got decent mobility—finishing his college career at Illinois with 741 rushing yards and another 13 rushing touchdowns over three seasons.

With the Detroit Lions, Altmyer is pretty firmly third in the quarterback depth chart behind starter Jared Goff and veteran backup Teddy Bridgewater. But if he can pick up the playbook quickly and put together a good training camp and preseason, there’s a chance he could land on the 53-man roster. If not, the Lions could choose to keep him around on the practice squad to develop.

Either way, the Lions finally have a third quarterback on the roster and a developmental option who could potentially grow into a long-term backup.

You can track all of the Lions 2026 UDFA signings here.