The Detroit Lions have been hit hard by the injury bug in the secondary over the last few weeks. First, it was D.J. Reed, who got carted off the field and placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury following their Week 4 win over the Cleveland Browns.
Then, a week later, Terrion Arnold re-aggravated his shoulder injury, and it wasn’t clear if the young cornerback would come back this season. It couldn’t have happened at the worst time for Arnold, who was having a good game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He posted two pass breakups, while only allowing three completions for 28 yards on six targets.
However, on Friday, Lions fans received a surprising update regarding Arnold. According to Colton Pouncy of The Athletic, Arnold was back at practice. Pouncy added that the former first-round pick told a few of the reporters he plans to return in Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings following Detroit’s bye.
Lions CB Terrion Arnold Reveals Return Date from Shoulder Injury
Lions fans were ecstatic to hear that Arnold is coming back after the bye, as they’ll need him on the field against the Vikings, who have Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jalen Nailor on the outside.
According to Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit, Detroit head coach Dan Campbell said earlier this week he thought Arnold and Avonte Maddox would possibly return after the bye.
Without Arnold and Reed in the starting lineup, Detroit has had to add multiple reinforcements to its practice squad (Tre Flowers, Kendall Fuller, and Nick Whiteside), while also asking more of Amik Robertson and Rock Ya-Sin.
Robertson was targeted frequently in the Bengals’ game, giving up seven completions on 11 targets for 89 yards and two touchdowns. However, the veteran defender also had an interception.
As for Ya-Sin, he gave up a touchdown, along with four completions (six targets) for 39 yards, and allowed a 124.3 pass rating when targeted in Week 5. But the veteran defensive back showed improvement in Week 6, only giving up two completions for 19 yards (three targets), and posting an 84.0 pass rating.
If Arnold is ready to go by Week 9, Robertson can still play on the outside or go back to the slot, while Ya-Sin stays on the outside. That said, if things go well in Week 9, Detroit might not have to pursue a trade for a cornerback.
Currently, the Lions are considered a team that could trade for a cornerback due to the slew of injuries. However, that can change with a good showing on Monday night against Tampa Bay, and in Week 9 vs. Minnesota.
Instead, the Lions could turn their attention towards finding another pass rusher to bolster their depth for the second half. Detroit is already getting great production from Aidan Hutchinson and Al-Quadin Muhammad to start this season, but they need someone else to help them out.