Lions activate Jayron Kearse, cut Ty Johnson

The Detroit Lions activated Jayron Kearse on Thursday after the safety completed his three-game suspension. To clear room on the roster, the team waived second-year running back Ty Johnson. 

Kearse, an offseason signing who played his first four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, had been suspended for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, stemming from a 2019 traffic stop. 

A special teams standout and versatile defender, it's still unclear where he'll fit into Detroit's game plan immediately. 

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"First of all, very excited for the fact that he's coming back," defensive coordinator Cory Undlin said earlier this week. "He's been working hard to get back while he's been out. Unfortunate situation, is what it is. I think we're all excited for him to be back — energy, everything that he brings.

"We'll get him back in there, ease him in and then we'll see where it fits at the end of the week, but we're excited to have him back."

Johnson, a sixth-round draft pick a year ago, had largely been phased out of the backfield rotation following the offseason additions of D'Andre Swift and Adrian Peterson. Through three games, he primarily saw action on special teams, playing just five offensive snaps.

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers