The Detroit Lions announced on Thursday that cornerback Ennis Rakestraw has been placed on injured reserve. While the Lions have an option to cut him with an injury settlement and re-sign him later in the year, reports from various sources suggest Rakestraw’s shoulder injury—which required surgery—is significant enough to end his 2025 season.
It’s an incredibly tough break for Rakestraw, who was limited to just eight games in his rookie season due to various injuries. Now, his second season is gone before it has even started.
Rakestraw posted an emotional video to TikTok on Thursday after sharing a pre-surgery photo on social media, as well.
“Words can’t describe the way I feel,” Rakestraw’s caption reads.
The Lions drafted Rakestraw in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, just a round after selecting cornerback Terrion Arnold. While Rakestraw wasn’t lined up for a starting job in 2025, there was some optimism that his development would take a new step this year, with a specific focus on the outside cornerback position.
“I’ve been anxiously looking forward to Rakestraw getting back out there, because he’s a guy in the spring that you saw taking that next step as well,” defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said in July. “But with guys like D.J. Reed, Amik Roberston leading that crew, showing him how to work, showing him how it’s done, I think we’re headed in the right direction.”
Unfortunately, while battling through a chest injury, Rakestraw suffered this shoulder injury during Sunday’s training camp practice while attempting to make a tackle on wide receiver Tom Kennedy.
“You hate it for the kid, you hate it. It’s not his fault, just one of those tough deals,” coach Dan Campbell said Monday. “All you can do is try to get it better and rehab, come back stronger and move on. That’s all you can do.”
The injury leaves the Lions a bit shorthanded at outside cornerback. While Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed are backed up by Amik Roberston and Rock Ya-Sin, who are both capable of playing on the outside, the rest of the depth includes several young, inexperienced players. Cornerbacks like Dicaprio Bootle, Nick Whiteside, D.J. Miller, and Tyson Russell could be fighting for one of the final roster spots or a place on the practice squad for much-needed depth.
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