Avonte Maddox hitting the sideline early in Thursday’s game with a foot injury had Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell sounding a serious alarm. Campbell was “not optimistic” about Maddox’s outlook, saying, “Maddox is pretty tough, so when he doesn’t come back, that makes me nervous.” That nervousness is translating directly into action, because the Lions are reportedly working out a “group” of defensive backs when the team gets back together on Monday. This isn’t just about one guy, though. It’s a full-on emergency in the secondary.
Old Faces and New Hope
Two names are already known to be among the defensive backs heading to Detroit: Jordan Fuller and Jalen Mills. Fuller should be super familiar to Lions general manager Brad Holmes, who was the Rams’ director of college scouting when they drafted Fuller in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Fuller started 12 games at safety his rookie season, grabbing three interceptions and defending five passes. He was a full-time starter in 2021 before a hamstring injury took out most of his 2022. He bounced back to start 17 games in 2023, then signed with the Panthers for a one-year, $3.25 million deal. Another hamstring injury sidelined him for about half that season, and last year he played just six games with the Falcons. Look, the guy’s had injury trouble, but he’s an aggressive player who loves getting involved in the run game, logging a PFF run defense grade above 68 every single year. He can play both in the box or deep, which is valuable.
Then there’s Jalen Mills. The 32-year-old safety was actually with the Lions briefly last season, joining off waivers in December after Brian Branch went down with an Achilles injury. Mills played 65 defensive snaps for the Lions in the final two games. Beyond these two safeties, there’s also buzz that the Lions have shown interest in free agent cornerback Kenny Moore.
Secondary Woes and Urgent Calls
So why the mad dash for defensive backs? Maddox’s injury is clearly a major piece of the puzzle, but let’s be real: the secondary play has been troubled through the first two games of the season. Saints quarterback Tyler Shough shredded the Lions for 410 yards in Week 1. Then on Thursday, Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns. That’s not just a rough patch, that’s a flashing red light.
Adding to the pressure, safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph both started the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list. They can’t hit the field until Week 5 at the earliest, though the good news is they can return to practice this week if they’re ready. But until then, the Lions need bodies and they need them now. When the team reconvenes on Monday, every rep for Fuller and Mills will be under a microscope. The Lions need to fix their backfield in a hurry, or those big passing yards are going to keep piling up.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pride of Detroit.
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