The Detroit Lions haven’t made many splashes in NFL free agency, as the most money they’ve handed out went to veteran offensive lineman Cade Mays, who signed a three-year, $25 million deal and will solidify their center position.
However, the Lions made several one-year signings across various positions on both sides of the ball, including in the secondary. Detroit signed Christian Izien to a one-year, $2 million deal, who looks like the young replacement for Avonte Maddox. They also inked Roger McCreary to a one-year contract worth $1.4 million, which is cheap considering the cornerback’s pedigree as a second-round pick.
McCreary is coming off a rough 2025 season that was split between the Tennessee Titans and the Los Angeles Rams. With the Titans, McCreary appeared in eight games and made three starts, but he didn’t start in the six games with the Rams. In fact, McCreary played more on special teams (61) than on defense (38), which is a stark contrast to how his tenure went in Tennessee.
That said, it appears McCreary will get a shot to compete for the nickel job, which could push former second-round pick Ennis Rakestraw Jr. out of the picture.
Roger McCreary Could Help Take Lions’ Secondary to Next Level in 2026
When speaking with the media last week, McCreary told reporters he’ll play wherever the Lions need him, which includes the nickel spot.
“Any position they need me at," McCreary said (h/t Tim Twentyman of Lions.com). "I know I play a lot of nickel, corner, but I feel like I can play either position, and that's the mindset I'm going into."
The Lions are likely excited to see McCreary compete, considering the performance they got from Amik Robertson, who struggled in the slot and on the outside. Robertson allowed 13.5 yards per completion and eight receiving touchdowns (career-high), while possessing a 117.7 passer rating against.
It was a nightmarish season for Robertson and the Lions’ secondary, which was hit by the injury bug. The Lions hope that the injuries stay under control this season and that McCreary can play better than what they got from McCreary.
In his first four years in the NFL, McCreary has only allowed 10.2 yards per completion and 10 receiving touchdowns. His passer rating when targeted is 100.7, which isn’t great, so Detroit will need to see that come down.
With that being said, if McCreary can play like the guy we saw in 2023 (9.6 yards per completion allowed and an 85.3 passer rating when targeted), it could give Detroit a formidable starting CB room with him, D.J. Reed, and Terrion Arnold. As previously mentioned, if that were to happen for McCreary, it could force Rakestraw into a depth role.
That wouldn’t be the worst possible news, as he’s only played eight games, which came in his rookie year.
Since he’s only 23 years old, no book has been written about Rakestraw’s career yet. However, his best ability will be staying on the field, which he needs to prove to win the job over McCreary.
McCreary brings a physicality and aggressiveness to the CB spot, which should work well in the Motor City. We’ll see if that leads to production and a potential long-term answer at slot cornerback.