Detroit Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown has emerged as one of the NFL’s most reliable and dynamic receivers, thriving on precision, toughness and relentless preparation. His ability to consistently beat defenders with crisp routes and elite timing has made him a focal point of Detroit’s offense. Through execution and a chip-on-his-shoulder mentality, St. Brown continues to prove he belongs among the league’s best.
In his first nine games this season, the 26-year-old has hauled in 64 catches on 82 targets for 693 yards and eight touchdowns. His totals rank fifth in the league in receiving yards and fourth in receptions, a testament to his continued consistency in his fifth NFL season.
St. Brown signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the Lions in April 2024, keeping him locked in with the organization through the 2028 season.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14)© Peter Casey-Imagn Images
As St. Brown prepares for Sunday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10, he took to social media with a special announcement. In addition to posting on his personal Instagram story, the St. Brown Foundation, an account run by Amon-Ra and his brothers Equanimeous and Osiris, announced a giveaway for fans.
St. Brown shared he is giving away a signed box of Cheerios to one lucky winner. “Did someone say GIVEAWAY? You could win a box of @cheerios SIGNED by @amonra_stbrown! ,” the post read, followed by instructions on how to enter.
St. Brown’s partnership with Cheerios began in July 2025, marking a few months of collaboration. As part of General Mills’ second annual “Cereal Training Camp” promotion, he was featured on a limited-edition box of Honey Nut Cheerios. The packaging highlights his signature “Honey Handstand” touchdown celebration, and the boxes hit grocery store shelves nationwide in August.
Off the field, St. Brown continues to build his brand while proving to be one of the best value picks in recent memory. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, he has played a central role in Detroit’s emergence as a championship contender. He is a major reason the Lions are tied for first in the NFC North with a 6–3 record. A three-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time All-Pro, St. Brown remains focused on the ultimate goal of bringing a Super Bowl title back to Detroit.
Don’t let anyone in the Lightning organization tell you otherwise: Playing the Florida Panthers is not just another hockey game.
The animosity between the teams runs deep and seems to intensify every time they meet, whether it’s in the playoffs or the preseason. They truly don’t like each other.
Some Lightning and Panthers players were teammates for last season’s 4 Nations Faceoff and will be again in February’s Winter Olympics. But their teams’ disdain for each other is real.
For all that, Lightning-Panthers might be the best rivalry in the NHL.
“Players have memories too, right?“ Lightning coach Jon Cooper told reporters Friday. ”So they know who we’re playing and especially when we’ve recently played each other in a playoffs. So, coaches don‘t need to do much for this one.”
Everyone has had Nov. 15 marked on their calendars since the last time the teams met — the penalty-riddled, fight-filled preseason finale Oct. 4 in Sunrise that ended with 16 ejections, 65 penalties and 322 penalty minutes between the teams.
Now, the cross-state rivals will meet for the first time in the regular season Saturday at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.
“There’s definitely a fine line between what you want to do and how you want to play,” said Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons. “But I mean, definitely anytime we’ve played against them it gets a little rowdy. I don’t mind it. I think it’s fun, but I haven’t really thought about it that much.”
Girgensons was knocked out of that final preseason game by a head-first check into the boards from Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe. Girgensons missed the first seven games of the season. Verhaeghe was ejected but received no supplemental discipline.
There’s certainly a lot of frustration that lies with the Lightning when it comes to the defending back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. Part of it is that Florida currently holds bragging rights after eliminating Tampa Bay in each of the past two postseasons.
And while the Panthers’ physical brand of play toes the line — there was no better example of the physical back-and-fourth between the teams than last season’s first-round playoff series — the Lightning felt that the way game officials and later the league regulated the play was lopsided.
That notion was revived in the second-to-last preseason game, when Lightning left wing Brandon Hagel was cross-checked, hit with a high stick and then sucker-punched by Panthers forward A.J. Greer, knocking him out of the game. Greer was fined but received no further supplemental discipline.
Rather than leaving their other star players susceptible to injury in a meaningless game two nights later, the Lightning called up six players from AHL Syracuse. It was clear from the start they were going to take their pound of flesh if the league, in their eyes, wasn’t going to do their part to punish the Panthers.
The events of those final two preseason games made the Lightning reevaluate some things. They claimed imposing forward Curtis Douglas, a 6-foot-9 enforcer, off waivers on Oct. 6. From the moment he was acquired, it was clear that it was for games like Saturday’s that he was added.
“I’ve seen them on TV,” Douglas said of the Lightning-Panthers games. “ And, I mean, I’m excited. It should be really fun. It’s my brand of hockey. I wasn’t there for the last game, but I’m here now, so we’ll what happens.”
There’s no reason to think anything will change Saturday. The Lightning are banged up, and with the volatile nature of this series they’ll have to make calls on whether to put important players who might not be fully healthy into the physical kind of game it promises to be.
It’s a rivalry game. The Panthers stand in the Lightning’s way and could again when it matters most in the postseason. But this is not that time. While two points are important with both teams sitting outside a playoff spot, it’s still only one game in mid-November.
The Lightning were without seven regulars for Wednesday’s loss to the Rangers.
Center Nick Paul is on long-term injured reserve. Defenseman Ryan McDonagh and rookie center Dominic James were placed on IR after getting injured last Saturday against the Capitals. Hagel took another hit to the head just three shifts into Wednesday’s game and didn’t return.
Forward Pontus Holmberg didn‘t play Wednesday or practice Friday. Defenseman Victor Hedman and center Anthony Cirelli did practice Friday, but Cooper said it shouldn’t be assumed they’ll play against the Panthers.
”We’re a little bit of a MASH unit right now,” the coach said. “Even the guys that practiced (Friday), some of those guys aren’t going to be in, either, so we’ll have to get a wake up (Saturday) and see where we’re at.”