The Detroit Lions were back on the practice field Thursday with their Week 7 preparation underway, and the full group was again accounted for during the portion open to observers. All 51 players on the active roster and practice squad were spotted as Detroit got in its second practice of the week ahead of its first division matchup of the 2026 NFL season against the regular season.
On the injury report, veteran cornerback Rock Ya-Sin remained limited for a second straight day with a hamstring issue. Safety Brian Branch was a full participant, as was offensive lineman Cade Mays, who is dealing with a wrist injury.
Before practice, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said the Lions are focused on carrying over what they did well against the Arizona Cardinals and using the bye week to sharpen the details.
“So, I'll just start briefly with, I thought it was the timing and everything of the bye week, especially with this year and what took place the first few weeks of the season was outstanding. And kind of the vibe and theme for the players and coaches was, 'Let's build off the positives,' which there were a lot of those," said Sheppard.
"And obviously it's good to go into the bye coming off of the performance like we did in the Arizona game. So, let's build off the positives and then let's make sure we're learning from the negative things that showed up."
Sheppard said the defense has to be ready for a Packers passing game that can stress a unit in a hurry. For Detroit, that means limiting explosive plays and keeping the defensive front rolling at a high level.
"That was a contingency through the whole deal. I thought the staff did a phenomenal job identifying certain things that we did.
With it being only a small sample size of games, the recollection of the plays and everything was right there," Sheppard said. "So, it didn't take us as much time as it would on a Week 10 bye or something like that to have the recall of what took place.
But just the building, the answers, having answers, the players' accountability, it all was outstanding during those bye week meetings.
"We're looking to build off of that. It seemed like it was an eternity ago and we've been preparing for this big game this week, but I believe we'll be ready to go Sunday.”
In Other News...
Jahmyr Gibbs Faces A Familiar Packers Problem At The Worst Time
Jahmyr Gibbs has been one of the NFLs most dangerous finishers this season, and Detroit is leaning on him again as it tries to get back on track in the division. The Lions head into another meeting with Green Bay looking for their first win over the Packers since 2024, and Gibbs will be central to that push after emerging as the offenses touchdown leader.
The matchup, though, has not always brought out his biggest rushing afternoons. In six career games against Green Bay, Gibbs has averaged 48.2 rushing yards and scored twice, even as the Packers run defense has been merely average this season. Detroit knows what it needs from its backfield, but this remains one of those rivalries where production has been harder to bank on than the name on the stat sheet suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Run Defense Just Got A Brutal Week 7 Twist
The Lions run defense is about to get a very different test in Week 7. Josh Jacobs has been activated to the Packers roster, giving Green Bay a needed boost after he missed the entire season to this point and the offense sputtered to the bottom of the league on the ground. For Detroit, the timing matters because this matchup now looks less like a chance to feast on a struggling rushing attack and more like a battle against a back who can change the feel of a game.
Jacobs return comes after his off-field situation shifted enough to clear the way back onto the roster, and Green Bay suddenly has a player it has been missing all season. For the Lions, it adds a layer of urgency to a unit that has built its identity on controlling the line of scrimmage. The Packers may still be trying to find their footing, but this is no longer the same rushing opponent Detroit was preparing for a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Have A Tom Kennedy Replacement Decision Still Hanging Over Sunday
Tom Kennedys injury leaves the Lions with a straightforward special teams problem and a familiar name ready to step in. Detroit special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said DeAndre Carter brings the kind of experience the team wants in the return game, and the veteran is the logical option to take on both punt and kickoff duties after Kennedy goes down.
The wrinkle is procedural, not positional. Carter is still on the practice squad, so Detroit has to make a roster move before he can actually suit up on game day, either by signing him to the active roster or elevating him for the matchup. For now, the Lions have a clear answer in mind, but the final paperwork still has to be sorted before Sunday. [Read more 🡒]