Matthew Mulligan of Enfield has been a man without a football team since he was released by the Buffalo Bills in December 2015.
Now it appears as though he’ll have an opportunity to extend his National Football League career.
The Lions on Monday signed Mulligan, a tight end, and defensive end Wallace Gilberry, according to multiple reports.
Mulligan, 31, has played seven NFL seasons and spent much of the 2015 season with Buffalo. He appeared in 12 games for the Bills last season, including five starts, and had one reception for 2 yards. He was used primarily as a blocker.
Mulligan could earn a job with the Lions because Brandon Pettigrew is recovering from a knee injury and has been sidelined since December. Other tight ends on the Detroit roster include Eric Ebron, Tim Wright, Jordan Thompson and Casey Pierce.
The 6-foot-4, 265-pound Mulligan spent 2009-11 with the New York Jets, then played with the St. Louis Rams (2012) and New England Patriots (2013) before stints in 2014 with the Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans.
Mulligan has made 17 receptions for 162 yards and two touchdowns in 81 career games. That included a career-best eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown with the Rams.
Mulligan has enjoyed a lengthy career despite having attended Penobscot Valley High School in Howland, which does not field a football team. He instead excelled in basketball, soccer and tennis.
Mulligan first put on the shoulder pads and helmet at Husson University in Bangor, where he originally went to play basketball, then transferred to the University of Maine, where he took his game to another level during three seasons.
Gilberry, 31, is an eight-year NFL veteran who spent the past four years with the Cincinnati Bengals. He started 16 games in 2014 but was relegated to a role in a rotation last season. He played in 16 games in 2015, with one start, and he had two sacks and was involved in 23 tackles.