After some bumps in the road in his recovery from a torn left ACL while playing for the San Francisco 49ers last season, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley made his Detroit Lions' debut Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. He was going to be eased into action, but getting back on the field was a massive step.
After just two plays, Moseley left the field after a non-contact injury and it simply did not look good. Monday would naturally bring an update, and the worst-case scenario has come.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Moseley torn his right ACL on Sunday.
In his first game back from the torn left ACL he suffered in Week 5 last year, Lions’ CB Emmanuel Moseley tore his right ACL in Week 5 this year vs. the Panthers, per source. Awful.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 9, 2023
Moseley's 2023 season is surely over, before it even really started. The Lions took a chance on him with a one-year deal in March, as part of their overhaul of the secondary, on the idea he'd be a key contributor to a newly deep back end of the defense.
In a purely coincidental twist, Moseley torn his left ACL last season playing against the Panthers. In Week 5.
Emmanuel Moseley tears other ACL in Lions' debut
For Moseley, another long rehab is ahead of him. He'll be a free agent again, coming off a torn ACL and likely be left to take another one-year deal next March.
For the Lions, losing Moseley is another blow to their secondary depth after losing C.J. Gardner-Johnson to a torn pec in Week 2. Jerry Jacobs has turned things around after a slow start this season, with three interceptions over the last two games, and he'll be the unchecked starter opposite Cameron Sutton at the other outside cornerback spot. But the Lions are a little thin at perimeter corner now, and ideally Will Harris will never play as much as he did on Sunday again (68 of 71 defensive snaps). The Panthers were just not equipped to take advantage of Harris' shortcomings.
Maybe the Lions re-sign Moseley in March and give him another shot in 2024. But his debut for the team was far too short,