The Detroit Lions enter the 2026 season with the goal of returning to the playoffs. Last season fell short, largely due to the injuries they dealt with. Safety Kerby Joseph has dealt with a knee injury, which has limited him to only six games.
To make matters worse, Joseph has yet to return to football activities, and head coach Dan Campbell doesn't know when he'll be cleared to return to the field. In addition to the question marks around Joseph, fellow safety Brian Branch tore his Achilles, and there's no set timeline on when he'll return.
With these two question marks around the safety room, Chuck Clark may be given a chance to carve out a role for himself.
Chuck Clark could create role for himself due to injuries in safety room
The Lions signed Clark to a one-year, $1.487 million deal in March, which seemed to be a low-cost, depth addition, but based on how things look in the safety room, he may be asked to play a bit more. And this could be his last chance to have a serious role within a defense.
Clark, 31, is an eight-year veteran. He's played with the Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, and Pittsburgh Steelers. Across 123 games (80 starts), he has logged 504 total tackles, 11 TFLs, 37 pass deflections, and five interceptions.
Just last season, he appeared in 15 games (five starts) for the Steelers. In those outings, he tallied 51 total tackles, three pass breakups, and one forced fumble. Clark lined up in the box for 109 snaps, with 284 snaps at free safety. He even played in the slot for 54 snaps.
On Pro Football Focus, Clark had a 70.3 overall grade (26th among 98 graded safeties), 63.4 coverage grade (39th among 98 graded safeties), and an 83.1 run-defense grade (8th among 98 graded safeties).
He was second among Steelers safeties in total snaps (470) last season, which shows that the coaches liked what he brought to the table, and he was effective when out there. Although Clark was added on a one-year flyer by Detroit, he still has gas in the tank.
He's a proven veteran who has played good football in the NFL, with the versatility to line up in several spots. With there not being a timeline for when either Joseph or Branch will return to the field, Clark is a player who will get more snaps in practice. That will be beneficial for him, as he's playing in a new system.
Detroit is looking to bounce back, so the idea of leaning on Clark may be appealing. He's been an effective player in the NFL and found success just last year. Depending on how things pan out, Clark could be thrust into the starting lineup and be gifted one last chance to be a serious contributor for someone's defense.
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