The Detroit Lions hope to bounce back in Week 3 and remind their fans that they are still Super Bowl contenders. After an embarrassing defensive performance through two weeks, the Lions have to take a big step forward on that end of the field to erase doubts about their 2026 outlook.
The clash against the Jets at home will be the perfect opportunity to do so, but the Lions' injury concerns continue to complicate matters.
In the first injury report of the week, the Lions had three absences: OL Ben Bartch, S Thomas Harper, and DT Alim McNeill.
McNeill missed practice for personal reasons, so he is expected to be on the field on Sunday. Harper's absence, on the other hand, is particularly noteworthy. The 25-year-old safety was listed with an ankle injury. He still has a couple of days to get a practice in to be able to suit up on Sunday. However, the fact that he was a non-participant despite the six days off since the Week 2 loss is not encouraging.
Harper was expected to continue to play a large role for the Lions' defensive backfield in Avonte Maddox's absence. Maddox suffered a season-ending injury in Buffalo, which led to two signings. The Lions brought Jalen Mills back to the practice squad and signed rookie DB Bishop Fitzgerald from the Steelers' practice squad.
Bishop Fitzgerald may make his NFL debut less than a week after signing with the Lions
If Harper is unable to go on Sunday, Fitzgerald will likely make his NFL debut and play significant snaps.
When Maddox exited the game in the second quarter against the Bills, the Lions relied on Harper and Christian Izien to take over. Harper, Izien, and Chuck Clark split the safety snaps. Fitzgerald could get thrown into the fire on Sunday, less than a week after his acquisition.
Dan Campbell spoke highly of Fitzgerald on Wednesday. He said that he was a player they were keeping tabs on throughout the draft process, and after he went undrafted. When the opportunity arose, the Lions didn't want to miss their chance on a player they had a "draftable grade" on.
But there is a difference between thinking a young player has promise and giving him defensive snaps on such short notice. So, perhaps the Lions could go in a different direction. Aamaris Brown and Mills are on the practice squad, so Detroit could elevate one of them. Or, they could find an internal solution like moving Keith Abney or Roger McCreary to safety.
Regardless of which direction the coaching staff goes, Fitzgerald has never been closer to a real NFL role. How well he does with the opportunity that may fall into his lap will play a large role in his future in the league.
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