By Sunday 
The Lions’ injury woes deepen as the second-year cornerback faces yet another setback.
Another Day, Another Injury in Detroit
For Detroit Lions fans, the 2025 NFL season was supposed to start with promise. But instead of fresh optimism, training camp has kicked off with a now all-too-familiar headline: another key defensive player dealing with an injury.
This time it’s second-year cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr., who left Sunday’s first full training camp practice early with what the team described as a chest injury. Trainers escorted him off the field before the final whistle, casting an immediate shadow over what should’ve been a positive day in Allen Park.
A Rough Rookie Year That Never Let Up
If you’ve been following Rakestraw’s journey, this latest setback is a gut punch. After flashing serious potential in last year’s training camp, he was set to make his debut in Week 2—until a hamstring injury during warmups derailed everything. That was just the start of a string of injuries that limited him to only eight games in 2024.
Now in Year Two, the expectation was clear: move full-time to the outside cornerback role and challenge for real playing time behind starters D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold. Defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend had spoken highly of Rakestraw’s growth—and fans were hopeful he’d finally get a full season to prove himself.
But the football gods, it seems, have other plans.
A Defense Held Together by Tape and Hope?
Rakestraw’s injury is just the latest in what’s becoming a growing concern for Detroit’s defense. Already this offseason:
- Levi Onwuzurike is out for the season (ACL surgery).
- Josh Paschal is shelved until September.
- Alim McNeill, Malcolm Rodriguez, Alex Anzalone, Anthony Pittman, and Al-Quadin Muhammad are all banged up or absent from practice.
We’re barely a full day into training camp, and Detroit’s defense looks more like a rehab ward than a contender’s core. For a team that had serious playoff aspirations and a 15-2 regular season last year, this is not the start anyone wanted.
Next Man Up… Again
In Rakestraw’s case, the hope is that the chest injury is minor. But it’s hard not to feel a sense of déjà vu. Injuries have a way of derailing promising seasons before they even begin, and right now the Lions are tiptoeing dangerously close to that line.
Coach Dan Campbell hasn’t panicked (yet), and you can bet his “grit first” philosophy won’t allow for excuses. Still, with the Hall of Fame Game looming on July 31, the team may need to make quick adjustments—and maybe even a few emergency calls—to keep their depth chart intact.
Let’s just hope the next headline isn’t about another defender joining the injury report.