Terrion Arnold injury update means Detroit Lions have 2 of their projected top 6 CBs from start of season, Amik Robertson and Rock Ya-Sin, vs Chiefs.
Last year, it was the defensive line and linebacking corps. This year, it's the secondary.
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell announced Monday cornerback Terrion Arnold will "be out for a long time" with a shoulder injury he suffered in Sunday's 37-24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Campbell said he does not know if the injury is season-ending, but he did not rule out that possibility.
Arnold's absence is the latest in a string of blows to the Lions' defensive backfield.
No. 1 cornerback D.J. Reed suffered a Grade 2/3 hamstring strain last week and is on injured reserve until at least November.
Top backup Ennis Rakestraw Jr. underwent shoulder surgery this summer and is out for the season.
Khalil Dorsey, another key reserve and special teams player, will be "out for a while" with a wrist injury he suffered in practice last week.
Lions CB depth chart
The Lions will have just two of their projected top six cornerbacks from the start of season, Amik Robertson and Rock Ya-Sin, plus backup safety/slot cornerback Avonte Maddox, for Sunday night's showdown with the three-time defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs.
"It really is the same as last year it’s just now it’s on the (back) end," Campbell said in Allen Park. "The front end was last year. The D-line, we got hit at linebacker and so now we’ve been pretty good there and now it’s on the back end. You tweak a couple of things and front’s got to get there a little quicker and our DBs, man, get up there and challenge, compete. And we’ll adjust, we’ll adapt and we move on."
The Lions (4-1) placed six defensive starters on injured reserve last year and lost several other key backups, when their injuries were concentrated on the defensive front seven.
Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport and Derrick Barnes suffered season-ending injuries in the first six weeks of the season, Alim McNeill tore his ACL in December, Carlton Davis III broke his jaw and was out for the playoffs, and Alex Anzalone missed six games with a broken forearm but returned for Week 18.
"Our guys know," Campbell said. "They know what it is and, look, I mentioned this before, this train doesn’t stop for anybody. It doesn’t matter who it is or what it is, we got to go. Nobody cares, nobody’s going to feel sorry for you. You’re putting your best 22 out there, offense, defense and special teams, by the way, and you got to find a way to win the game. And you use all three phases to do it and we will use all three phases to do it."
Campbell said Arnold played one of his best games of the season Sunday, when he had two pass breakups and was flagged for pass interference and defensive holding while battling top Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase part of the day.
Arnold, who left the Lions' Week 4 win over the Cleveland Browns with a shoulder injury, was injured on a tackle late in the third quarter Sunday with the Lions up, 28-3, and did not return. Chase caught two touchdowns and Tee Higgins had a third in the fourth quarter for the Bengals.
With Reed and Arnold out, the Lions will lean heavily on Robertson, Ya-Sin and Maddox the next few weeks, and could use practice squad cornerbacks Tre Flowers and Nick Whiteside as depth.
Robertson, the Lions' primary slot cornerback to start the season, started at outside cornerback against the Bengals and had his first interception since 2023, while Ya-Sin (29 snaps) and Flowers (nine) saw time off the bench.
Campbell said the Lions may have to make some minor schematic changes to their defense to account for their injuries at cornerback, but said they don't plan to alter a man-heavy approach that's "part of our DNA."
"It’s tough," Robertson said Sunday of the mounting injury problems in the secondary. "But we built for it, man. We built for it. We have to be built for it. Myself, the next man up. Just the position God put us in, put me in, I can handle it. Like I say, we’ll be back. We got a very important game coming up. Next game is always the most important one and just keep this train rolling."
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Terrion Arnold injury update: Lions CB 'out for a long time'
Category: Football
