The Lions are one win away from their first Super Bowl appearance and are gaining championship experience.
Detroit will sign veteran tight end Zach Ertz to its practice squad on Monday, multiple reports said after Brock Wright suffered a forearm injury in Sunday's playoff win over the Buccaneers.
Wright is not expected to play in Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the 49ers in San Francisco.
Ertz, 33, injured his quadriceps with the Cardinals earlier this season and was released in November.
The three-time Pro Bowler was part of the Eagles team that won the Super Bowl six years ago and spent the past two seasons at Arizona State under Lions tight ends coach Steve Heiden.
Sam LaPorta, the Lions' Pro Bowl rookie tight end and second-round pick (34th overall), has been plagued by knee problems, but caught nine passes for 65 yards Sunday against Tampa Bay.
Ertz spent the first eight-plus seasons of his career with the Eagles before being traded to the Cardinals midway through the 2021 season.
He had at least 816 yards receiving in each season from 2015 to 2019.
Ertz's best year was 2018, when he had 116 catches for 1,162 yards and eight touchdowns.
That came after he caught seven passes for 67 yards and a touchdown, setting a previous season record in the Super Bowl II victory over the Patriots.
Ertz had 187 yards and one touchdown in seven games this season before being cut by the Cardinals.
