The Detroit Lions head into their preseason finale at Lucas Oil Stadium with a simple reality hanging over everything: the roster has to be trimmed fast, and there are still jobs to settle.
Kickoff against the Indianapolis Colts is set for 1 p.m. ET Saturday, and the NFL’s 53-man deadline arrives at 6 p.m.
ET Sunday. That leaves Detroit with very little breathing room after a road game.
Dan Campbell has already made clear the staff wants most of the board figured out before the game even starts, though he also knows the final tape can still tilt a few decisions. As Campbell said Thursday, the staff needs “a pretty good idea where you’re at” before facing the Colts.
Detroit enters at 1-1 in the preseason after a 16-14 loss at Cincinnati and a 17-13 win over Washington. Indianapolis is 0-1-1. Most of the Lions’ starters are expected to sit, which turns this into one last tryout for players chasing a spot on the 53-man roster or one of the 16 practice-squad openings, plus a 17th slot for an international player under league rules.
The most obvious unresolved battle is at backup quarterback.
Jared Goff is locked in as the starter, but the picture behind him changed when Teddy Bridgewater retired in early August. Detroit placed him on the reserve/retired list Aug. 9 and signed Josh Dobbs the next day. Luke Altmyer, the undrafted rookie, has handled the second-team work through camp, while Dobbs brings 15 career starts and previous experience in Drew Petzing’s offense.
Campbell still has not declared a winner. On Thursday, he said he wants “consistency” and “good smart football” from Altmyer.
That’s the heart of the decision for Detroit: not who makes the flashiest play, but who can keep the offense on schedule if Goff has to miss time. Dobbs threw an interception over the middle against Washington.
Altmyer has been cleaner with the ball and has taken more practice snaps. The Lions could keep one on the 53 and try to stash the other on the practice squad, but waiver risk keeps that from being an easy call.
The receiver room is mostly settled at the top, but the back end is still fluid. Amon-Ra St.
Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa, and Greg Dortch appear to be in. After that, things get messy.
The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy has Tay Martin as the extra receiver, pointing to special-teams work that Campbell and coordinator Dave Fipp have praised. Tom Kennedy still has value as a returner and as a versatile offensive piece.
Dominic Lovett has a tougher climb after losing ground in the return battle.
Tight end is another spot worth watching. Jackson Meeks has pushed himself into the conversation, with multiple roster projections, including The Detroit News, listing him as TE4 after a strong preseason as both a receiver and coverage player. He is still learning the position after time in the receiver room, so special teams may be his path to beating out a sixth wideout or an extra linebacker.
The interior offensive line has been squeezed by injuries. Cade Mays is out with a fractured wrist and is expected to open the season on injured reserve.
Juice Scruggs looks like the Week 1 center. Michael Niese has been sidelined with a leg issue, and Seth McLaughlin missed Thursday’s final camp practice for an unconfirmed reason.
That absence moved Mason Miller to second-team center, even though he did not play the position in college, and botched snaps with Altmyer on Thursday showed the danger. If McLaughlin is healthy enough to count as the ninth lineman, Miller’s path gets tighter.
If Detroit wants another emergency center, Saturday becomes a real audition.
The core of the line appears to include Penei Sewell, Blake Miller, Christian Mahogany, Tate Ratledge, Larry Borom, and Scruggs. Miles Frazier and Ben Bartch are in the next group, while Giovanni Manu remains on the non-football injury list.
Defensively, the Lions still have some tough choices on the line and at linebacker. Campbell has talked up the depth up front throughout camp, which usually means there’s a cut or two that can help somewhere else.
Chris Smith has earned praise for his discipline, with Campbell saying Smith “does everything right.” Mekhi Wingo has flashed as a three-technique pass rusher, though he was in concussion protocol recently.
Ben Stille has been the most flexible of the group, moving from nose to big end and staying on the field in practice. Some projections keep Stille and move on from Smith or Wingo, but that’s still in the realm of projection, not certainty.
Linebacker opened up further this week when Damone Clark was placed on injured reserve after Campbell said he was done indefinitely. Jimmy Rolder, a fourth-round rookie, is dealing with a hamstring issue and is unlikely to practice before camp ends, though Campbell has said he expects Rolder back early in the regular season.
That leaves Troy Reeder, Joe Bachie, Amen Ogbongbemiga, and rookie Erick Hunter fighting for the remaining snaps. The veterans bring special-teams history.
Hunter brings athletic upside.
Cornerback is another spot with real pressure. Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Roger McCreary have both spent time on the bubble, and Detroit could keep both.
It may not. McCreary has graded well in preseason games without moving up the practice depth chart, while Rakestraw, a 2024 second-round pick, still has to finish clean and stay available.
ClutchPoints noted that Saturday matters more for Rakestraw than it does for most of the roster.
The game being indoors removes weather from the equation. What Detroit still needs is simple execution: clean snaps at center, steady quarterback play from whoever handles QB2, and enough special-teams work from the bubble players to leave a mark.
Sunday brings the deadline. Saturday is the final look for Campbell and Brad Holmes before the cuts come down.
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