Detroit Lions cornerback Ennis Rakestraw is believed to have suffered a long-term injury per Dan Campbell.
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell confirmed the suspected bad news regarding cornerback Ennis Rakestraw’s injury. Per Campbell, Rakestraw is expected to be out for some time.
“It’s a shoulder,” Campbell said. “I think it’s going to be a while. At best, I think it’s going to be a while.”
Campbell noted that they’re still doing tests for Rakestraw, so they aren’t ready to commit to any specific diagnosis or timeline.
“I hate it for the kid. You hate it,” Campbell said. “It’s not his fault. Just one of those tough deals. All you can do is try to get it better, rehab, come back stronger, and move on.”
It’s a tough blow to Rakestraw, who has dealt with several injuries since entering the NFL as the Lions’ second-round pick in 2024. He was limited to just one preseason game with an ankle injury. His regular season was shortened to just eight games after dealing with a hamstring injury—eventually landing on injured reserve in November. Just this camp, he was dealing with an early chest injury, and now this shoulder injury will sideline him long-term.
Earlier on Monday, the Lions added former Michigan Panthers cornerback D.J. Miller to help out with depth. He’ll join Rock Ya-Sin, Dicaprio Bootle, Tyson Russell, and Nick Whiteside as depth behind Detroit’s starters: Terrion Arnold, D.J. Reed, and Amik Robertson.
The Lions’ secondary took another blow on Sunday, with seventh-round rookie Dan Jackson suffering a leg injury that landed him on injured reserve . After placing Jackson on IR, cutting running back Kye Robichaux, and signing Miller, the Lions have an open spot on their 90-man roster.