Detroit Lions News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/11/25

Here are the minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations heading into the sixth Sunday of the NFL season:

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Manu was ruled out for this week with a knee injury after making the first start of his career with Detroit. Unfortunately, he’ll miss the team’s next three games, as well, after being placed on injured reserve.

Wright will fill in as placekicker for the Titans in Week 6. Regular kicker Joey Slye has been ruled out with a calf injury after missing practice all week.

Avery in Cleveland and Walton in Carolina are both being called up as standard gameday practice squad elevations for the third time this year. If either of their respective teams want them to be active for another game, they will need to sign them to the 53-man roster.

Taylor Decker, Giovanni Manu To Miss Week 6

  • The Lions will face the Chiefs on Sunday without starting left tackle Taylor Decker. The 10th-year man will miss his second game in a row as a result of a shoulder injury. Worsening matters for the Lions, they’ve also ruled out backup tackle Giovanni Manu. After making his first career start in place of Decker last week, Manu is down with a knee injury. With Decker and Manu unavailable, Dan Skipper is expected to start at left tackle in Kansas City.

Aidan Hutchinson Could Reach In-Season Lions Extension Agreement

Over the past two offseasons, the Lions have reached extension agreements with several key in-house players. Aidan Hutchinson does not have a new deal in hand at this point, but even with the campaign ongoing that could change relatively soon.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes Hutchinson “looks destined” for an extension. Nothing appears imminent at this point, but Fowler suggests an agreement could be reached during the season. Team and player have conducted talks, and it has long been widely believed Hutchinson will be among the league’s top earners for pass rushers once his pact is in place.

As expected, the EDGE market witnessed several jumps over the course of the 2025 offseason. Micah Parsons moved the bar to a record-shattering high when he inked his Packers extension upon arriving via trade. Parsons’ deal averages $46.5MM per year and contains $120MM in guarantees. Given his age (26), the ex-Cowboy will no doubt be used as a comparable player for Hutchinson’s extension negotiations.

Since being selected second overall by his hometown team, Hutchinson has emerged as one of the league’s top defenders. The former Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up posted 11.5 sacks in his second campaign and earned a Pro Bowl nod along the way. Hutchinson was on track for a repeat of that honor – and quite possibly others – last season before a leg fracture ended his campaign just five games in. Fully healed in time for 2025, the 25-year-old has already racked up five sacks so far (including at least one in each of the past four games).

As a result, it would come as no surprise if a Hutchinson deal were to move him to at least second in the financial pecking order for pass rushers. In terms of average annual value, T.J. Watt currently occupies that spot at $41MM; Myles Garrett landed an AAV of $40MM this spring. Those two are attached to their third NFL contracts, whereas Hutchinson will be inking his second deal when he signs.

For the time being, the Michigan product is on track to earn $19.87MM in 2026 on his fifth-year option. That leaves plenty of time for negotiations to continue, although Lions general manager Brad Holmes noted in April a long-term deal will require a massive cap commitment. That is especially true considering the particulars of the Parsons extension. It will be interesting to see if a Hutchinson accord is worked out in the near future or if talks are paused until the offseason.

Traded Draft Picks For 2026

Many months remain before teams know where they are picking in the 2026 draft, but many clubs have made moves to acquire 2026 draft capital. Headlined by the Browns, Rams and Cowboys’ efforts, here are the 2026 picks to have changed hands thus far. When more deals involving picks are made (or conditions on moves already completed become known), that information will be added.

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/8/25

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

With starting cornerbacks D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold both sidelined (along with backup Khalil Dorsey), the Lions have brought in some veteran reinforcement at the position. Arthur Maulet brings 85 games of experience to Detroit, although he’s struggled to carve out a starting role throughout his career. The cornerback has mostly served as a depth piece in stops with the Saints, Colts, Jets, Steelers, and Ravens. He spent the past two seasons in Baltimore, where he compiled 42 tackles and a pair of sacks in 17 appearances.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/8/25

Today’s minor moves:

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

San Francisco 49ers

Khalil Dorsey was recently nursing a wrist injury, and that issue will now sideline him for at least the next four games, as the cornerback landed on injured reserve today. After getting into the first four games of the season for the Lions, Dorsey didn’t see the field for Week 5. The majority of his playing time has come on special teams this season.

Kevin Givens is back at practice after landing on IR before the season even started. The defensive tackle has been working his way back from a pectoral injury that wiped out the first month of his 2025 campaign. According to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, the defensive lineman will be evaluated throughout the week to determine his availability for Week 6. Givens is coming off a 2024 season where he compiled a career-high 3.5 sacks.

Lions CB Terrion Arnold To Return ‘Sooner Than Expected’

12:40 p.m.: Lions head coach Dan Campbell threw some lukewarm water on expectations for Arnold’s return after the latest injury news, per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard.

Campbell said that the second opinion on his young cornerback’s shoulder seems like a positive development, but is still uncertain about a precise timeline.

10:04 a.m.: Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold is expected to return “sooner than expected” from a shoulder injury that was originally thought to sideline him for a significant amount of time, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

There were even fears that Arnold could miss the rest of the season, but that is no longer a concern. The second-year corner sought a second opinion on his injury, which revealed that he would not need surgery, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He could even return this month.

Arnold’s return will be important for a depleted Detroit secondary. He struggled to start the year and saw his snap share decrease in Week 4, but D.J. Reed‘s injury pressed him back into a more prominent role in the next game. Reed will be out for at least three more games while he is on injured reserve, and Ennis Rakestraw was declared out for the season during training camp. Depth cornerback Khalil Dorsey will also miss time with a wrist injury, per Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network.

As a result, Arnold cannot get back on the field soon enough. Rock Ya-Sin will be one of Detroit’s starting cornerbacks moving forward, while Amik Robertson will likely play on the boundary in base formations and flip into the slot for nickel and dime packages. That will require another outside cornerback for those latter looks, but the Lions have no clear answer on their roster. Former Eagle Avonte Maddox has primarily lined up in the slot in his career and as a free safety this season. Veteran Tre Flowers is likely Detroit’s best option. He played in their last game and will likely be elevated or promoted from the practice squad for Week 6.

Saints To Sign CB Michael Davis

Michael Davis has found another gig. After no team signed the veteran cornerback following the expiration of his Commanders deal, two clubs showed interest this week.

The Saints are adding Davis, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. This is an active-roster deal, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. Davis had agreed to join the Saints’ practice squad, but the Lions showed interest for what appears to be a P-squad deal. Instead, New Orleans offered a spot on its 53-man roster. That did the trick to add the experienced starter.

This will reunite Davis with Brandon Staley, the Saints’ DC hire. Staley coached Davis from 2021-23 with the Chargers. Davis parlayed his Los Angeles work into a one-year, $3.2MM Commanders pact. He is certainly better known for Bolts contributions, however, having signed a three-year, $25MM contract to stay with the team in 2021. That came during Staley’s first offseason as Chargers HC.

Washington did not see much from Davis last season, using him as a starter in only two games. Pro Football Focus graded the 6-foot-2 DB as one of the NFL’s worst cornerback regulars in 2024, and the Commanders made multiple investments at the position this offseason. Davis is now 30 but will be given another chance — albeit for a 1-4 team.

A Charger from 2017-23, Davis started 74 games with the team. He was a regular first-stringer from 2018-23, lining up in Staley’s defense during much of this span. PFF graded the Tom Teleseco-era UDFA well in 2022, slotting him 31st, but has viewed him as a below-average option since. Davis has played on the outside for most of his career, seeing only a fraction of his work in the slot.

The Saints played their Week 5 game without starter Isaac Yiadom. The two-time Saint is not on IR, but Davis will provide some depth and bring scheme familiarity. New Orleans also waived Velus Jones to clear a roster spot, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. A former Bears third-round draftee, Jones has primarily worked as a return man as a pro. Being tried at receiver and running back, Jones has been unable to stick around. Jones played in all five Saints games this season, working as the team’s primary kick returner.

While a Lions landing would have been more relevant in the grand scheme, game checks on the veteran minimum obviously dwarf P-squad salaries. Davis would have been insurance in Detroit as well, and the NFC North powerhouse could use help. The Lions are down D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw, with Reed and Rakestraw on IR, ahead of their Sunday-night clash with the Chiefs. Detroit still has Amik Robertson, Avonte Maddox and corner/safety Rock Ya-Sin on its active roster. Tre Flowers is one of three CBs on the Lions’ P-squad. It will be interesting to see if the Lions make another move at corner given their injury situation.

Lions CB Terrion Arnold To Miss Time

OCTOBER 7: Arnold’s injury could end his season, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (video link). He adds additional opinions are being sought out at this point. More clarity could emerge soon in this case as a result.

OCTOBER 6: The Lions’ depth at the cornerback spot has taken another hit. Detroit is already without Ennis Rakestraw and D.J. Reed, and Terrion Arnold is now sidelined as well.

When speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Dan Campbell said Arnold will be out for “a while” due to a shoulder injury (video link). It is unclear at this point if the ailment will prove to be season-ending. In any case, losing Arnold for an extended period will deal a notable blow to Detroit’s’ secondary.

[RELATED: Lions Among Suitors For Tre Hawkins]

Rakestraw landed on injured reserve this summer, meaning his 2025 campaign was over before it started. Reed, meanwhile, was moved to IR last week as a result of a hamstring injury. Reed will miss at least the next three games. Even when he comes back, though, depth at the cornerback spot will be an issue provided Arnold’s absence lasts as long as the team fears it will.

The 2024 first-rounder logged over 900 snaps as a rookie, and he remained a starter on the perimeter to begin the current campaign. Arnold was in line to have his workload reduced, but the Reed injury made it difficult to keep him off the field. Now, both of the Lions’ projected boundary starters will be unavailable for the time being. Rakestraw’s absence will be acutely felt since he would have been a candidate to take on a notable role in the wake of these other injuries.

Nevertheless, the 4-1 Lions will be tasked with moving forward without several key players at the CB spot. Amik Robertson could find himself in a full-time role on the outside despite being best suited to the slot. Rock Ya-Sin, Tre Flowers and Avonte Maddox are also in the fold at this point; some or each of them could be in store for a notable uptick in workload through the remainder of the campaign.

The Lions entered Monday with over $26MM in cap space. Finances will therefore not be an issue if one or more cornerback additions are to be pursued in the near future.

CB Tre Hawkins Drawing Interest

Injuries limited Tre Hawkins to three games last season and left him off the Giants’ roster following training camp this summer. The free agent cornerback is unsigned at this point, but that could soon change.

Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports Hawkins is making progress in his recovery from the hamstring injury he dealt with during training camp. The Giants ultimately waived him with an injury designation, ending his New York tenure but allowing Hawkins to sign with a new team after a specified period. According to Wilson, the list of Hawkins suitors consists of the 49ers, Ravens, Lions, Dolphins and Colts.

Cornerback represents an area of need to varying extents in the case of all five of those teams. Miami moved on from Kendall Fuller (through release) and Jalen Ramsey (through trade) this offseason. The CB spot remained a question through training camp and into the season, and a number of injuries have now piled up. As such, a Hawkins signing could result in immediate playing time.

That is also the case for teams like Indianapolis (with Xavien Howard recently being moved to the reserve/Retired list) and Detroit (with D.J. Reed currently residing on injured reserve). Baltimore’s defense includes several key missing contributors. That includes cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie, both of whom were sidelined yesterday and could miss further game action.

San Francisco’s secondary has seen the likes of Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green handle full-time starting roles as expected. Depth is always sought out in the middle of the season, though, and with a 4-1 record the NFC West leaders represent a logical candidate to pursue multiple additions during the campaign. With nearly $24MM in cap space, the 49ers could certainly afford to take multiple fliers on free agents.

Hawkins, 25, saw part-time usage on defense and special teams during his rookie season. The former sixth-rounder saw his snap share increase to 40% the following year, but he was only available for 89 snaps. Given today’s update, a number of teams certainly see upside in this case in addition to an encouraging outlook on the health front. It will be interesting to see how many visits Hawkins makes over the coming days given his list of suitors.