The Detroit Lions were deep in the chase for Joey Porter Jr. before the Dallas Cowboys got the deal done.
Dan Campbell said Detroit had real interest in bringing in the former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback, and that the push had been building for some time.
"Brad Holmes, he's been on it for a while," said head coach Dan Campbell. "That's been ongoing.
Everything's got to align right. Cowboys did what they wanted to do.
We were very much in on it."
The Lions ultimately missed out, leaving the front office to keep sorting through its own options at corner. Ennis Rakestraw is healthy and developing, while D.J. Reed, Roger McCreary and Rock Ya-Sin are taking on the outside roles.
Campbell also made clear that Holmes is always looking for ways to strengthen the roster, not just in the secondary.
Detroit’s defense has plenty to clean up early in the 2026 season, and the pass defense has been one of the league’s weakest spots so far.
Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard spoke before Thursday morning’s practice and broke down what stood out to him from the Lions’ work against the Jets.
"To be honest, guys doing their job in the run game, just owning my gap. It starts with the front, being physical, changing the line of scrimmage.
We want to play on their side of the line, not reacting and catching blocks. We don't play that way.
We fire off, we get downhill on the second level and we try to make things happen on their side of the line on our terms," said Sheppard. "And I think our guys have done that.
They've done it pretty well too, to be honest, two out of three games and we all know what transpired at the Buffalo game.
"I want to give props to some of those players that had errors in the Buffalo game and the run game. The emphasis that they took and the onus that they took on to go out and make sure they weren't a repeat offender. And I think you just saw kind of the fruits of the labor of what these guys did going into the game.”
In Other News...
Dan Campbell Hinted At Big Lions Roster Decisions Before Carolina
With a short week leading into Carolina, Dan Campbell spent part of his pregame update signaling that the Lions still have some roster chess to play. Detroit is in trade talks for Joey Porter Jr., while safety Brian Branch is nearing a return to practice, and Campbell also made clear that he remains confident in linebacker Jack Campbell even after a slow start to the season. The message was less about the headlines than the direction: the Lions are still sorting out how their defense wants to look as the schedule tightens.
The immediate assignment, though, is straightforward enough. Detroit is focused on keeping Bryce Young from settling in, and Campbell said the biggest defensive concern beyond that is handling tight ends in the middle of the field. He also raised the possibility of rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder getting defensive snaps, a reminder that the Lions may not be done adjusting the group as they balance short-term needs with longer-term decisions. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Branch Return Timeline Just Got A Lot More Interesting
Brian Branchs path back to the field is starting to come into focus, and that matters for a Lions defense that has had to wait out one of its most important young pieces. The safety is close to returning from the Achilles injury he suffered last season, according to Dan Campbell, after beginning the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list. If the timeline holds, Branch is expected to be eligible to return to practice next week, a first step toward getting him back in the mix.
What happens after that will be the part Detroit is watching most closely. The Lions would then have the 21-day window to work through before deciding on activation, and Kelvin Sheppards recent comments about the defense and its preparation only add to the sense that the unit is bracing for a potentially meaningful addition. For a team trying to keep its defensive rhythm intact, Branchs return would be one of the more notable developments on the horizon. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Could Have Tough Trade Calls If Young Talent Keeps Rising
The Lions are heading toward the trade deadline in an unusual spot for a team still trying to build something lasting: they are expected to be buyers, but they also have to keep sorting through which veterans and depth pieces fit the roster long term. As Detroit evaluates its options, cornerback Amani Oruwariye, defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike and offensive lineman Logan Stenberg have surfaced as names to watch, especially if the front office decides a roster spot or draft asset can be better used elsewhere.
What makes the calculus trickier is that the answer may not be about those players alone. The Lions also have to factor in how younger talent is coming along and whether injuries create new pressure points before the deadline arrives. If those developments keep breaking the right way, Detroit could find itself making some difficult calls on useful pieces rather than simply adding help. [Read more 🡒]