The Detroit Lions‘ secondary regressing after an already average 2025 season is the biggest question the team is facing entering the 2026 season. Eva Geitheim of Sports Illustrated highlighted the Lions burning question and noted that potentially losing three starters is what the team has to worry about.
“With Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph returning from injuries, and Terrion Arnold released after he was arrested on kidnapping and armed robbery charges, the Lions’ secondary is looking thin,” wrote Geitheim. “Statistically, the Lions pass defense wasn’t horrible last season—ranking 21st in passing yards allowed and 14th in EPA per pass—but there were plenty of moments they left more to be desired between their games against the Packers, Giants and Rams. With Arnold’s release and injuries to its two best secondary players, the unit could be at risk of regressing in 2026.”
Arnold is gone, which will be tough to replace. However, Branch and Joseph do not have defined timetables, which can make them just as hard to navigate.
The Detroit Lions Have Burning Questions in the Secondary
GettyTerrion Arnold
The Lions released Arnold after he was arrested on kidnapping and armed robbery charges. While Arnold is currently working out for teams, he remains unsigned. So, the team will be looking at a new cornerback for the entire season.
This news did not come down until after the draft and free agency had taken place. So, it will be hard for Detroit to fix the issue without leaning on their depth.
The Lions have to lean on their depth at safety as well. Brian Branch tore his Achilles in December of last year. He has not practiced at all, and his timetable appears to be the second half of the season. Dan Campbell noted that he expects Branch back closer to December of this year, but any time before that is optimistic.
Joseph has an even murkier timetable. He missed 11 games due to a chronic knee issue last year. The knee issue does not appear to have a set timetable for recovery and could continue to come back throughout his career. So, the team is going to head into the year with major questions at all three spots.
The Lions Must Lean on In-House Depth Options to Overcome Injuries
When it comes to cornerback, the first two names to step up will be Rock Ya-Sin and Ennis Rakestraw. In a perfect world, Rakestraw handles the job. He is a former second-round pick, and while his first two years did not go well, he is now entering his third season. He is still young enough to turn things around and become a trusted starter.
If he cannot take that duty on, the team has Ya-Sin. There is much less upside with Ya-Sin. However, he has seven years of NFL experience and 45 career starts over that time. He even started six games for Detroit last season.
At safety, it looks like they will have Christian Izien and Avonte Maddox as the top two contenders to replace Branch. Both of them have a combination of slot and safety experience. This allows them to fill a role similar to Branch, so the defense does not have to change too much.
Maddox started when Branch went down last season, and Izien was signed in free agency with starting experience. Detroit is hoping one of them can stabilize the position until Branch returns.
At the other safety role, they signed Chuck Clark, who started in five games for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. He plays a more traditional role like Joseph. Between these veteran depth pieces, the Lions secondary brings plenty of questions.
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