An early injury scare for the Detroit Lions on Thursday didn’t turn into the kind of setback that would send alarm bells ringing.
Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw left the preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals after getting hurt while making a tackle on Tahj Brooks in the second quarter. He stayed down on the field, and teammates immediately signaled for the training staff. Rakestraw was eventually helped to the locker room and did not return in Detroit’s 16-6 loss.
The moment looked especially concerning because Rakestraw had also appeared to take a shot from teammate Devin White on his other arm earlier in the same series. It initially seemed like a shoulder issue, which naturally raised questions given what happened to him last year. Rakestraw suffered a shoulder injury in training camp in 2023 and later had surgery that wiped out his second season.
Even so, Dan Campbell sounded upbeat after the game.
"It's not major. It ended up being - it's not a headshot, we just think he got a little contusion in the arm," Campbell said.
"It kind of made him numb. So, I think he'll be alright."
Rakestraw echoed that sentiment when he spoke to reporters afterward, and he was not seen wearing a sling or a brace.
"Nah, not at all," Rakestraw said, via the Detroit News. "I'll be back."
Before exiting, Rakestraw had put together a busy stat line with five total tackles, including one solo stop, and a pass breakup.
Campbell also said Mekhi Wingo will be evaluated for a concussion, while the team was uncertain on Loren Strickland but described the outlook as mildly optimistic.
For Rakestraw, the injury comes at a time when he’s trying to carve out a larger role. He’s entering his third NFL season and has played in just eight games so far. His rookie year was interrupted by an injured reserve stint after a pregame hamstring injury, and last season never got off the ground because of the shoulder surgery.
Detroit has already dealt with plenty of movement at cornerback during camp, including the decision to cut Terrion Arnold amid his ongoing legal matter. Arnold, the Lions’ first-round pick in the same draft they selected Rakestraw in the second round, is expected to sign with the Seattle Seahawks.
With Arnold gone before camp really got rolling, Rakestraw had been in the mix to challenge for the second starting job opposite D.J. Reed, along with veteran Rock Ya-Sin. But Ya-Sin appears to be moving ahead in that battle.
The Lions sat most of their starters Thursday and used the preseason opener to give depth players a chance to make their case for roster spots.
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