SECONDARY

Starters: CB Terrion Arnold, CB D.J. Reed, S Brian Branch, S Kerby Joseph

Reserves: CB Khalil Dorsey, CB Rock Ya-Sin, CB Amik Robertson, CB Avonte Maddox, CB Ennis Rakestraw, CB Arthur Maulet, CB Nick Whiteside, CB Keenan Garber (practice squad), S Jalen Mills, S Thomas Harper, S Daniel Thomas, S Loren Strickland (practice squad), S Domontae Kazee

Key stats: This season, the Lions allowed 3,695 passing yards, ranking 20th in the league. They also gave up 31 passing touchdowns, ranking them 26th. Nearly half of these totals came in the last seven games.

Kory’s grade: D

Breakdown: The 2025 season was a bit of déjà vu for the Lions regarding the health of their secondary, as injuries decimated the unit for a second consecutive season. The lack of available healthy bodies, along with inconsistent performances by the unit, contributed to the Lions missing the postseason.

Last offseason, the Lions brought in new players after a few, especially Carlton Davis III, who left for a bigger contract. D.J. Reed, formerly with the Jets, replaced Davis as a starter on a multi-year deal. Reed joined second-year cornerback Terrion Arnold and safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, creating a secondary that looked promising on paper.

All four of them only played together for the first four games of the season.

Reed was the first to get injured, hurting his hamstring after the Week 4 win over the Browns. Before that, he had a strong start in Detroit. Quarterbacks completed just 50% of their passes and had a 44.3 passer rating when throwing his way. He also made 16 tackles, broke up four passes, grabbed one interception, and recovered a fumble.

Because the injury was serious, the Lions put Reed on injured reserve. He didn’t play again until Week 12, when he returned in a win over the Giants. Reed admitted he needed time to get back to form, and he struggled in the last seven games. In Weeks 13-16, quarterbacks targeted him more than three times per game, completing 65.6% of their passes with a 90.8 passer rating. Reed gave up 281 passing yards and one touchdown during that time.

Joseph, known as the Lions’ best ballhawk, had a tough start because of a knee injury that bothered him since training camp. By Week 6, he had three interceptions, but those were his only big plays of the year. The knee injury kept him out for weeks, and there was no clear timeline for his return. He was finally placed on injured reserve in Week 16, ending his season.

Branch’s 2025 season was rocky, with penalties for unnecessary roughness, a postgame fight with Chiefs’ Juju Smith-Schuster in Week 6, a suspension, and controversy from an NFL Films narration of the incident. But the biggest issue for the Lions was Branch tearing his Achilles in Week 14 against the Cowboys. He had surgery and now faces up to a year of recovery.

Arnold had a rough start to his second NFL season. He was dealing with lower leg injuries and still learning, and quarterbacks completed 70% of their passes with a 123.1 passer rating when throwing at him in the first five games.

During that time, Arnold gave up 291 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also missed games because of concussions and a shoulder injury, and by Week 14, he needed season-ending shoulder surgery.

With key pieces of their secondary hampered by injuries, the Lions look to their reserves and practice squad call-ups to provide. With their entire starting secondary out of action during a Week 7 home win against the Buccaneers, the Lions featured a starting unit of cornerbacks Rock-Ya Sin and Amik Robertson, along with Thomas Harper and Erick Hallet starting at safety. They also had defenders Nick Whiteside, Arthur Maulet, and Loren Strickland rotating in significant minutes to form a collective affectionately dubbed “The Legion of Whom.”

The Lions’ makeshift secondary had some good moments, but as the season went on, the injuries became too much to overcome. In the last seven games, the secondary allowed 1,906 passing yards and 13 passing touchdowns.

Looking ahead to the offseason, the Lions have some choices to make about their secondary. Joseph and Branch’s injuries are a worry, and it’s not clear if they’ll be ready for the start of next season. The team also needs to decide what to do with free agents like Ya-Sin, Robertson, and Avonte Maddox. Both Ya-Sin and Maddox played well when given the chance.

Because of the injuries at safety, the Lions should think about bringing both players back. Robertson didn’t have his best year, but when he’s playing well, he’s a solid nickelback and worth re-signing. The team also needs to decide about Ennis Rakestraw and whether his injury history will affect his value to the roster.