The Detroit Lions’ secondary has been hit hard by the injury bug this season. DJ Reed, Kerby Joseph, and Terrion Arnold have all missed time due to various injuries, which is not what Lions fans had in mind when the season started.
However, luckily for the Lions, they’ve seen countless guys on the 53-man roster and practice squad step up at a moment’s notice. And on Thursday, they received some great news regarding the health of veteran cornerback Khalil Dorsey.
According to Justin Rogers of the Detroit Football Network, the Lions started Dorsey’s practice clock, meaning he has 21 days or three weeks to make it back to the 53-man roster or spend the rest of the year on injured reserve.
Lions Open Khalil Dorsey’s 21-Day Practice Window at Perfect Time
The veteran cornerback has only played in four games this season, having missed time due to a concussion that he suffered in Week 5. The Lions were hoping Dorsey would be back sooner rather than later, but he then suffered a broken wrist during practice in early October, placing him on injured reserve.
Before he got hurt, Dorsey spent most of his time playing special teams (54 snaps) compared to defense (19 snaps). Since arriving in Detroit in 2023, the 5-foot-8 cornerback has developed into one of the better core special teamers in the NFL and was rewarded with a two-year, $3.3 million extension.
Not only is Dorsey one of the best gunners, coined by Lions' special teams coordinator Dave Fipp, but he can also return kicks if need be.
That said, even though he has that extra year of security, Dorsey still needs to play well when he’s ultimately activated off injured reserve. The Lions have had a chance to see Rock Ya-Sin and Arthur Maulet, who will both be free agents, up close this season.
Ya-Sin and Maulet have done admirably on defense when called upon to step in for injured members of the CB room, which will help their case in trying to get re-signed by Detroit or joining another team.
However, both players have played a bit of special teams this season too (Ya-Sin: 125 snaps, Maulet: 63 snaps). They aren’t special teams aficionados like Dorsey, but their ability to play on defense and start gives them a slight advantage over Dorsey.
Dorsey has only started in three games out of 31 in the Motor City. Additionally, the veteran CB has a potential out in his contract for 2026, according to Spotrac, which could give the Lions an easy out if they feel Dorsey isn’t playing up to standard. Or, if Detroit believes they would be better off bringing back Ya-Sin and Maulet because of their versatility.
Needless to say, Dorsey can’t take his foot off the gas when he gets his chance to come back. He needs to be the best special teams player on the field, like he has shown in his previous two years with the club.