Despite consternation over the intensity of the Detroit Lions training camp, the team actually got through it in pretty good shape from a health standpoint. Only a single starter (Cade Mays) went down with a long-term injury, and he should be back by mid-season.
I’ll have a full rundown with rankings of all the camp and preseason injuries later this week. In the meantime, feel free to visit my Lions Injury Tracker for the updated status of the roster.
Here are my top 3 concerns for the Detroit Lions heading into the 2026 regular season.
#1. Running Back Depth
This offseason, the Lions swapped a very reliable, very productive David Montgomery for an oft-injured, increasingly unproductive Isiah Pacheco - whose unreliability has already manifested itself.
Yes, they got some value in return for the DMo trade and saved some cap money, but now there are serious concerns about the RB depth behind the healthy, 24-year-old Jahmyr Gibbs.
Here were the backup RBs at the 53-man cutdown:
Isiah Pacheco (27yo) was placed on IR with a back injury before the season even started. He also suffered an MCL sprain during camp. He won’t be back until Week 5 at the earliest.
Jacob Saylors (26yo) might be the most reliable and healthy RB backup, having only suffered a mild left ankle sprain in preseason.
Sione Vaki (25yo) suffered a nose fracture, an eye injury, and a back injury during training camp. Last year, he missed six games with hamstring and groin strains. Currently, he is presumed healthy.
Jabari Small (24yo) made the initial 53-man roster but then was quickly released. He carries major concerns due to his recent and historical concussion history.
If Gibbs can stay healthy like he has in his first three seasons, there is no big problem. However, staying healthy becomes increasingly difficult with a higher percentage of snaps. It will be interesting to see how the RB snap counts are distributed in 2026.
For a refresher of new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s philosophy regarding running back snap counts…
#2. Secondary Age
In the past 12 months, the Lions’ secondary pulled a Rip Van Winkle, going from very young to very old seemingly overnight. Here were the ages of the 2025 starters at the beginning of the season:
Brian Branch - 23
Kerby Joseph - 24
Terrion Arnold - 22
DJ Reed - 28
AVERAGE - 24.25
Here are the ages of the 2026 Week 1 starting secondary:
Chuck Clark - 31
Avonte Maddox - 30
DJ Reed - 29
Rock Ya-Sin - 30
AVERAGE - 30
The Lions average secondary age increased by a whopping 5.75 years.
Brian Branch’s return at some point this season will help lower the average age. Kerby Joseph is just 25 years old, but may not return due to his left knee. Terrion Arnold was released on bail (and by the Lions) with 8 felony charges.
At least the rest of the Lions team got significantly younger…
#3. Offensive Line Performance
The health concern here is almost exclusively due to the injury to center Cade Mays. The bigger question mark may be with performance, based on how the overall line played last season.
Here is the status recap of the starting offensive line:
Cade Mays (C, 27yo) had a wrist fracture in training camp and was placed on IR. His earliest possible return is Week 5, October 11. Even after returning, there is some concern for residual weakness with the wrist.
Penei Sewell (LT, 25yo) was banged up a bit last year with shoulder, knee, and ankle issues, but he’s still young and healthy.
Christian Mahogany (LG, 25yo) had a fibula fracture last year that is of no residual concern. He was on NFI (unknown reason) for a couple days at the start of 2026 training camp, but that doesn’t seem to be an issue.
Tate Ratledge (RG, 25yo) played all 17 games as a rookie last year. However, he exhibited occasional signs of a neck issue, which is something to watch this season.
Blake Miller (RT, 22yo) was one of the most reliable players in college history, and has continued that reliability so far in preseason with the Lions.
As you can see, 4 of the 5 starters are in good health heading into the season.
The offensive line is the engine that powers this entire Lions team. Can this youthful 2026 group overcome the temporary loss of Mays, and reclaim the Lions’ status as one of the best offensive lines in the NFL? If yes, the Detroit Lions should be right back in contention for the Super Bowl.
To revisit the Top 10 concerns heading into the Lions 2025 season along with the outcomes…
Revisiting Lions Top 10 Injury Concerns Entering 2025 Season
It can be valuable in football, medicine, and life in general to look back in time to see how events played out. Here is a revisit of my Detroit Lions Top 10 Player Injury Concerns Entering the 2025 Season, as published on Lions Wire last September.