The Detroit Lions headed to Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio on Thursday night for their first preseason game of the season, a chance for rookie QB Luke Altmyer to get his feet wet in NFL action for the first time.
Altmyer gained the starting position after backup QB Teddy Bridgewater walked away from the NFL leaving a hole on the Lions' roster filled by the signing of veteran QB Joshua Dobbs.
The former Illinois Fighting Illini star showed flashes of his strong play in Champaign, Illinois with coach Bret Bielema's team, leading the Lions down the field for his first passing touchdown in exhibition play.
Altmyer's final stat line was forgettable, but the touchdown pass will live on in his mind as his NFL career progresses.
Altmyer Records First Passing Touchdown
The play happened in the fourth quarter with the Lions trailing the Bengals by a score of 16-6.
Altmyer took a shotgun snap from the 25-yard-line, dropped back, surveyed the field and found his safety valve, former Michigan Wolverines and Texas Longhorns receiver Tarik Black.
A well-executed checkdown pass gave Black the head of steam he needed to run to paydirt and the speedy former four-star college football prospect took it the rest of the way.
Black has one NFL reception to his name with the New York Jets in 2021 and is seeking a return to the limelight this season.
Altmyer helped make him look good on this play, reminiscent of his time with Illinois.
First NFL TD for former #Illini Luke Altmyer pic.twitter.com/OueDJcmGCB
— Armchair Illinois (@ArmchairIllini) August 14, 2026
Final Stat Line: TD, Two INTS
Altmyer failed to lead his Lions to victory as the Bengals won 16-14 in the first exhibition contest for both teams.
The final stat line was a bit of a disappointment for Lions fans as Altmyer finished with 130 yards passing, a touchdown, and two interceptions on 13-of-22 completions.
Dobbs completed four-of-eight passes for 32 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions.
Both quarterbacks were sacked once.
As the preseason continues to progress, Altmyer's growth will be worth watching.
The Lions lack quarterback depth and Dobbs is diving head-first into a playbook that will be tough to learn in its entirety before the season.
The former Fighting Illini quarterback Altmyer isn't likely to see much regular season game action this season, but he's working hard to improve and making strides according to Lions coach Dan Campbell.
A player's first NFL game is never easy, whether exhibition or in the regular season, and Altmyer showed some of the versatile skills that made him a fan favorite at Illinois.
The Fighting Illini's fifth all-time leading passer wasn't drafted, but it's hard not to envision a scenario in which he doesn't see an NFL football field during the regular season at some point of his career.