As part of their rebuild of the secondary last offseason, the Detroit Lions took a one-year flier on cornerback Emmanuel Moseley as he was coming off a torn ACL. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, they're doing it again before free agency starts.
Lions are re-signing CB Emmanuel Moseley to a one-year deal before he can enter free agency, per source. Moseley injured his ACL during his first game for Detroit in Week 5 vs. the Carolina Panthers, one year after he had torn his other ACL. But the Lions are bringing him back.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 5, 2024
Contract terms have not been reported yet.
After he was signed in March of 2023, Moseley reportedly had a "clean-up" procedure on his injured knee and he later added a hamstring injury to the mix. He made his Lions' debut in Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers,
Moseley lasted two plays before he tore his other (right) ACL. Week 5 appears to be his bugaboo, as he torn his left ACL in Week 5 of the 2022 season playing for the San Francisco 49ers....against the Panthers.
Lions take another one-year flier on Emmanuel Moseley
Since he was injured in early October, Moseley should be ready to play sometime early next season. He is unlikely to be ready for the start of training camp though, and overall based on last year's experience he will not be rushed into anything.
Toward the end of last season, Justin Rogers of the Detroit News caught up with Moseley. He was around the team, attending practices, sitting in on meetings and generally being a veteran presence with playoff experience.
"I've found joy in coming around, being around my teammates, seeing them excited, being excited about going to the playoffs," Moseley said. "It's the little things like that, that haven't been done in a while. Just being around, making sure I'm helping out the guys out as much as I can with what I see on film. I'm sticking around to help them because that's what guys did for me."
Moseley was very good for the 49ers when healthy in 2021 and the early part of 2022. Health is of course the important caveat with him now, after tearing an ACL in back-to-back seasons. But the Lions are smart to give him another shot, with only upside and no realistic expectations he'll be a starter on another one-year deal.