The Detroit Lions are taking a hard look at help in the secondary after a rough opening stretch and a wave of injuries has thinned out the room.
According to NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler, the team is set to work out a group of defensive backs Monday at the Allen Park Performance Center. Fowler said, "The Detroit Lions are working out a group of defensive backs Monday, per sources.
Veterans Jordan Fuller and Jalen Mills (a Lion in 2025) are among the participants. Detroit has given up 71 points through the first two weeks and is depleted in the secondary."
Fuller, 28, entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 2020. He landed with the Atlanta Falcons last offseason on a one-year, $1.33 million deal, but a knee injury in Atlanta’s Week 2 game against Minnesota changed that path.
Fuller went on injured reserve, returned to availability in late October, played six games, and finished with two combined tackles before being released in early December. He later spent time on the practice squad to close out the season.
Mills also has a past stop in Detroit, giving the Lions some familiarity as they look for options. He was claimed off waivers by the team in December of 2025 after the Houston Texans claimed defensive tackle Naquan Jones off waivers following Jones’ release from the Los Angeles Chargers.
The need is obvious. Detroit’s secondary has been hit by injuries, including a recent one to safety Avonte Maddox. Maddox got off to a poor start and could be facing an extended absence.
On the field, the back end has been in trouble early in the 2026 season. The Lions have given up explosive plays and have dealt with communication issues, while Rock Ya-Sin has not settled in well opposite veteran cornerback D.J.
Reed. Detroit brought Ya-Sin back on a one-year deal after he excelled in a reserve role in 2025, hoping he could step into the spot left by Terrion Arnold, who the organization moved on from because of his legal problems.
In Other News...
Lions Suddenly Have A Secondary Issue They May Need To Solve Fast
When the Lions get back from their break, the defensive backfield will be worth watching closely. Detroit plans to work out a group of defensive backs, including Jordan Fuller and Jalen Mills, as it continues to sort through both health questions and performance concerns in the secondary. Avonte Maddoxs foot injury is part of the picture, and the team has already been forced to keep an eye on a unit that has needed help at times.
There is at least a path toward relief if the timing breaks right. Safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph remain on the Physically Unable to Perform list, but both may be nearing a return to practice, which could help stabilize a group that has been thinned out. Until then, the Lions may need these workouts to do more than just add bodies, because the back end of the defense has become a spot they may have to solve quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Badly Need Cade Mays Back For This Brutal Stretch
Jared Goff has already spent too much of the early season dealing with heat in the pocket, and it has put a spotlight on a Detroit offensive line that has not looked nearly as steady as the Lions need it to be. The issue becomes even bigger with the schedule turning toward a pair of division tests against the Packers and Vikings, both of whom can make life miserable for a quarterback when they get to the front of the pocket.
Cade Mays absence has been part of that problem, with the starting center still working back from a wrist injury that has kept him sidelined. The bye week offers the Lions a natural reset, and there is at least a chance he could be back by mid-October, which would give Detroit a much-needed reinforcement right when the trenches figures to matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Face One Big Week 3 Question Before Aaron Glenn Returns
The Lions head into their Week 3 matchup at Ford Field with a familiar face on the other sideline and a few questions of their own to sort through. Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, who spent last season as Detroits defensive coordinator, has already been dealing with the fallout from a late-game timeout decision in a recent loss, while the Lions continue trying to steady a defense that has not met its own standard.
Aidan Hutchinson suggested adjustments are coming after the latest poor showing, a reminder that Detroit is still searching for the right mix on that side of the ball. With Glenn back in town and the Lions looking to respond at home, the week has a little more edge than a typical early-season game. The bigger issue now is whether those defensive changes show up in time to matter against a coach who knows the building well. [Read more 🡒]