The Detroit Lions have lost key cornerbacks D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold in back-to-back weeks, but unlike 2024, there shouldn't be any lingering sense of panic with their absence.
Last year, the Lions famously caught the injury bug about this time of the season. Multiple defenders started going down at different spots. By the end of the year, the Lions were starting a patchwork defense that struggled by the time the playoffs came around.
Fortunately, things are different in 2025. While there have been several unfortunate injuries flaring up on defense lately, the Lions have shown that they have the capability to deal with them in a much better way this season.
Losing Reed and Arnold will hurt in the short-term, but thankfully, the Lions signed veteran cornerback Rock Ya Sin in the offseason. While Ya Sin might not be a big name, he has 39 starts to his credit in the league. Against the Cincinnati Bengals, he stepped in and made a clutch pass breakup while collecting three tackles.
In addition to Ya Sin, the Lions have Detroit native Avonte Maddox at their disposal. Not only does Maddox have position versatility between corner and safety, he has started 41 times in his career, playing in several big games with the Philadelphia Eagles and winning the Super Bowl. Maddox also stepped up well in Week 5 with four tackles, proving he can step in seamlessly for this defense.
Nobody is pretending that Reed and Arnold won't be missed at all given each could be considered elite in their own way, but collectively, their temporary loss can be mitigated best by this veteran duo that Brad Holmes was wise to prioritize this offseason.
Lions should lean on veteran depth first before making major trade
Detroit lucked out with both the Reed and Arnold injuries. While Reed thought he might be done for the season after a groin injury, he is likely to return off IR eventually. Arnold received a positive second opinion on his shoulder, and is likely to be back this year, too.
In the immediate aftermath, there's been calls for the Lions to look at trades. For now, they should avoid that temptation. There's no telling what other needs may evolve in the coming weeks, and rushing to deal for a player when depth is solid on the back end is probably not the smartest move.
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The Lions aren't wrong to make other veteran additions to the cornerback room, but they don't need to be giving up draft assets to bring in players that might not be any better than what they already have. Giving guys a chance who have earned the right to see more time since training camp is the best way for Detroit's defense to move forward.
Last year, the Lions didn't have enough players to survive the wild onslaught of injuries they faced. This season, an early mini-run of injuries at cornerback isn't poised to sink them quick thanks to their quality veteran depth.