Ennis Rakestraw’s latest practice setback arrived Thursday in Allen Park, and it came on a non-contact play that sent the Detroit Lions cornerback off the field for evaluation of a lower leg injury.
The injury happened on the final snap of the only team period in a practice that lasted less than an hour. Rakestraw was covering tight end Jackson Meeks in the slot and turned to run with him downfield when the issue occurred. Meeks finished the play with a touchdown as Rakestraw went down in pain.
Rakestraw got back to his feet and limped off under his own power, then made his way slowly to the locker room while the Lions wrapped up with a special teams period.
It’s another tough turn for a player whose first two NFL seasons have been interrupted by injuries. The third-year cornerback, a second-round pick out of Missouri in 2024, has played only 46 defensive snaps in his career.
As a rookie, he missed nine games with a hamstring injury. Last season, shoulder surgery in August wiped out his year before it began.
The timing is especially frustrating because Rakestraw had started to put together a better stretch of work this week. He was the Lions’ lowest-graded player by Pro Football Focus in last week’s preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, but he responded with stronger practices.
On Monday, he picked off a pass in the intrasquad scrimmage, added another pass breakup and made a couple of good plays against the run. Then on Wednesday, he logged a sack on a cornerback blitz and another PBU.
That run of better work came after an uneven start to camp, and after Rakestraw said this summer he believed the injury problems were behind him and that he was ready to help the Lions’ secondary in 2026.
He was in the mix for the No. 2 cornerback job opposite D.J. Reed, competing with Rock Ya-Sin and Nick Whiteside after former first-round pick Terrion Arnold was cut June 29 while facing four charges of kidnapping and assault.
“Obviously, you never know, but I feel like me personally, it’s over,” Rakestraw said. “I feel like God gave me everything that I can handle and right now it’s time for me to go shine cause my back against the wall and I always did good when my back was against the wall so time to see what I’m about again.”
In Other News...
Lions Secondary Question Just Got More Complicated With Joey Porter Jr
Detroits secondary already had enough questions attached to it before Joey Porter Jr. entered the conversation. The Lions are dealing with injuries and uncertainty at cornerback, which has kept that part of the roster under a spotlight as they try to sort out who can be trusted on the outside and how quickly help might be needed.
Porter being considered available as he heads into the final year of his rookie deal only adds another layer to the decision-making. He would fit the kind of high-upside swing a team like Detroit has to at least examine, but the health concerns and contract wrinkle make any pursuit more complicated than a simple talent upgrade. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Campbell Took Player Connection Further Than Most Coaches Ever Would
Dan Campbell has built his reputation in Detroit on being the kind of coach who does not just preach toughness, but tries to live it alongside his players. His style has long stood out around the NFL because it is so hands-on and so plainly authentic, from working out with players during camp to putting himself in positions that most head coaches would never consider.
Long before he was guiding the Lions, Campbell was already pushing that connection in unusual ways. As the Miami Dolphins tight ends coach, he once wore pads during practice so he could better understand what his players were dealing with physically, a move that helped shape the way he related to them and even rubbed off on other coaches around the league, including Shawn Jefferson and Mike Vrabel. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Still Have One Crucial Return Job To Sort Out
The Lions have most of their return game sorted, but one important job still needs a clearer answer heading into the 2026 season. Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp has identified Tom Kennedy and Greg Dortch as the main candidates to handle punt returns, giving Detroit a two-man competition for a role that can quietly shape field position all year.
Dortch brings the more extensive punt-return background, while Kennedy is expected to be in the mix on kickoffs because of his size and durability. The Lions also have a cluster of options on kickoff duties, including Jacob Saylors, Sione Vaki, Dominic Lovett and rookie Isiah Pacheco, and those decisions could come after the preseason game against the Washington Commanders. [Read more 🡒]