The Detroit Lions haven’t even kicked off the 2026 season, and they’re already staring at a problem that could shape the early months of the year.
ESPN’s Eric Woodyard pointed to injuries as the biggest concern, noting that several key players will open the season on injured reserve. That means the Lions will be without four players for at least the first four weeks, a rough setup for a team that needs a clean start.
Two of those absences hit the secondary. Brian Branch is dealing with an Achilles problem, while Kerby Joseph is sidelined by a knee injury. With those two out, Detroit’s safety room is suddenly thin at a position group that already carried questions.
The offensive line is taking a hit too. Starting center Cade Mays, who was expected to play an important role in helping the unit bounce back from a rough 2025 season, will miss significant time because of a wrist issue.
There’s also a blow in the backfield. Running back Isiah Pacheco is out with a back issue, leaving the Lions behind Jahmyr Gibbs with less depth than they’d like to have to begin the season.
Woodyard summed up the situation bluntly: "Biggest concern: Injuries," Woodyard writes. "Several key players will begin the season on the injured reserve list..."
Detroit’s task now is simple in theory and tougher in practice: hold steady until Week 5, when those four players can return from IR. Even that may be optimistic, since they could be out longer, and more players could end up on injured reserve in the opening weeks.
For a team with a season that already feels loaded with pressure, this is a shaky place to start.
In Other News...
Lions Receiver Decision Suddenly Carries Bigger Weight For The Opener
The Lions receiver room looked a little thinner than expected when Detroit trimmed down to four wideouts on its initial 53-man roster for the 2026 season, but the first-week picture is already taking shape. Dan Campbell said veteran Tom Kennedy is expected to play in Week 1, and the staff is looking at him not just as a depth option on offense but as a possible kick returner too.
Dave Fipp has also weighed in on the return-game plan, underscoring that kickoff and punt duties are part of the bigger roster puzzle rather than separate afterthoughts. With only a handful of receivers on the active roster, Kennedys role carries more significance than it might have in camp, and the opener will offer the first real look at how Detroit intends to balance his value on offense with what he can do on special teams. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Receiver Depth Suddenly Looks Like A Real Roster Concern
The Lions entered the week with a thinner wide receiver room than they probably expected after roster cuts, and the picture looks more important when you zoom out beyond Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. Detroit is carrying just four receivers right now, which leaves little margin if injuries or another shakeup hit, and it has pushed the depth conversation into the foreground as the team tries to protect an offense that relies heavily on timing and spacing.
One name that naturally comes up in that context is Darius Slayton, who was just released by the Giants and has a history with Lions passing game coordinator Mike Kafka. He would bring experience and another layer to the position, but Detroit is also working within financial limits that could make a move tricky. For a team that wants to stay aggressive without overextending, the fit is obvious enough to keep watching, even if the path to actually making it happen is not especially clean. [Read more 🡒]
Jared Goff And Detroits New OC Face Immediate Pressure In Week 1
The Lions have spent the offseason trying to keep the offensive machine humming, and the early signs from Jared Goffs partnership with new coordinator Drew Petzing have been encouraging. Dan Campbell has praised the way the two have worked together, with Goff also speaking positively about Petzings play-calling and the confidence he has brought to the job, a useful sign for a team that wants continuity even with a new voice shaping the offense.
Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints will be the first real test of how quickly that relationship translates from the meeting room to the field. Petzing does not need to reinvent anything for Detroit, but he does need to show he can fit into what Goff does best while still leaving his own imprint, and that balance is already going to matter when the lights come on. [Read more 🡒]