Larry Foote has spent seven seasons with the Steelers, but is he headed home to Detroit? (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

Suddenly, Detroit is the place to be — at least in NFL circles.

Speaking from his Michigan home, LB Larry Foote told the Detroit Free Press that he would love to play for his hometown Lions if he is released — as expected — by the Steelers:

“I would love to come home. My family is here. I just bought a house here. It would be great. And just to answer critics: I’m not a veteran trying to come home and cash out on my hometown team. I’m a baller first. I wouldn’t sacrifice that for nothing.

“I would love to come home, but whoever wants me, that’s who I’m going to start with first.”

Foote has played seven seasons with the Steelers, who run a 3-4 alignment. The Lions run a 4-3, but Foote said he could play inside or outside.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Steelers plan to hang on to Foote through this weekend’s minicamp as a last-ditch effort to trade him. Foote has one year left on his contract that was scheduled to pay him a salary of $2,885,000 in 2009.

The Free Press also reports that the Lions made room on their roster by releasing QB Drew Henson. Detroit now has three quarterbacks, Daunte Culpepper, Drew Stanton and No. 1 overall draft pick Matthew Stafford.

UPDATE: Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert called reports of Foote’s imminent departure “erroneous,” via mlive.com. Colbert pointed out that Foote was still a member of the Steelers.

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