Quite a busy week happened to, and around, the Detroit Lions ahead of their Week 8 contest against the Minnesota Vikings. Their mind is totally on how to take down the 6-0 Vikings, but a few key storylines have hovered around them headed into this game.
Kerby Joseph's return to practice is probably the biggest nugget of news related to the Lions from this past week, as it comes on the tail of Brian Branch coming back into the fold for the Lions against the Green Bay Packers. His one interception in that game is a good reminder of what he, and Joseph, offer to the Lions' secondary.
The other piece of news was unrelated to the Lions: the Chicago Bears traded for star defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons, put the NFC North in an interesting spot ahead of the trade deadline.
We'll recap both of these topics, and more, in our Week 8 Lions news roundup.
- Trade deadline woes?
- Kerby Joseph's return to practice couldn't come at a better time
- Lions' O-line continues to earn their flowers for stellar start to season
- The Lions should get Jahmyr Gibbs some help soon
Trade deadline woes?
The last time the Detroit Lions made a big-splash trade deadline acquisition, it was at a moment of desperation.
The team had lost Aidan Hutchinson for the year with a broken leg, forcing them to peruse the trade market for a starting edge rusher that could help keep their postseason aspirations alive. A great fit was found between themselves and Za'Darius Smith, who the team landed from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick.
Starter injured, starter replaced at the trade deadline, and same starter allowed to walk after a promising finish to season with the Lions. Their only "big" trade ended up as a one-year rental, and now they're on the clock to make another deal by November 10, this year's deadline.
Is their need as strong as it was following Hutchinson's injury? No. However, a serviceable cornerback, or linebacker, added to this Lions roster would do wonders for their defense's ceiling, making a move feel like a requirement to remain competitive in a suddenly tough division.
At this point, I don't think Lions fans would mind a much smaller scale move for a decent corner. Nothing like a Sauce Gardner trade, but just something to prove that the team has a pulse.
Kerby Joseph's return to practice couldn't come at a better time
Joseph is back at practice, and it couldn't be a more welcomed return for a Lions defender that could immediately elevate this year's unit. While the Lions have found some answers at safety by way of rookie Keith Abney II and Chuck Clark, they could use a turnover threat like Joseph looming next to Branch for the remainder of the season.
His comeback is also coming at a great time, schedule-wise. The Lions will obviously not have him back for their Vikings game, but his 21-day (or, 4-game) window to be activated to the roster would suggest that he could be back against two potential NFC opponents - the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 22, or the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving.
You obviously like the idea of him back for that Bears game, as the Lions' rival has begun to reinforce themselves with that Simmons trade. If the Lions want to argue that their (potential) lack of activity at the deadline is because Joseph equates to a major trade acquisition, it's hard to not agree with that logic. That's how great he is for this defense.
Lions' O-line continues to earn their flowers for stellar start to season
It was hard to avoid articles or stats about how good the Lions' guard room, and their tackle room, have been this season. Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge are both in the top five of guards in the NFL in pass blocking rate, per PFF, with Mahogany topping that list. The Lions' top pick from 2026, Blake Miller, has also begun to turn heads with zero sacks allowed and as he cracked ESPN's recent rookie ranking through Week 8.
"After Miller made 54 consecutive starts to close out his career at Clemson, there were some NFL evaluators who believed he was one of the safest picks in April. He looks every bit the long-term solution at right tackle for the Lions, who moved All-Pro Penei Sewell to left tackle over the offseason.," wrote Jeff Legwold.
Their development - and, specifically, Ratledge and Mahogany's work - with Cade Mays in the fold at center will be worth monitoring over their next few games. Any notable drop off in production from either of those guards, and the Lions might want to consider putting Juice Scruggs back in for some snaps.
The Lions should get Jahmyr Gibbs some help soon
Gibbs' workload is one to behold...probably for the wrong reasons. He is third in the league in carries (134), and while he's had some great results this season, he is often the Lions' only hope for yards on the ground. Sione Vaki, after it seemed like he'd figured out a nice ground and pound role with the Lions, hasn't seen the field much over the Lions' last two games.
I think it's very clear that the Lions need to be poking around the trade market for a cheap RB2 option behind Gibbs, while they wait for Isiah Pacheco to return. Kareem Hunt was a name connected to the Lions recently on the free agent market, but Tyler Allgeier, Tony Pollard, and Devin Singletary are other names for the Lions to consider as help for Gibbs.
As SideLion Report's Michael Colwander recently wrote, "Gibbs' workload doesn't have to dip to 55% of rushes like it was last season, nor should it, but 82.2% is comically high. Sitting and waiting until Pacheco returns is tempting fate too much. Gibbs is too valuable to wear out. So whatever the Lions do at the RB position behind Gibbs in the coming weeks, it has to be something."
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