A troubling update on Terrion Arnold’s condition has exposed an uncomfortable reality about the Detroit Lions’ season.

The second-year cornerback, along with the team’s medical staff, chose to push through a shoulder injury that had already sidelined him earlier in the year. After recently sustaining a concussion and then aggravating that same shoulder, Arnold has now been ruled out for the remainder of the season and will undergo surgery to finally address the issue.

What originally appeared to be a long-term injury was eventually treated as something he could manage with rest—yet the team ends up right back where they started, with Arnold shut down for the season. Safety Kerby Joseph, who returned in Week 6 against Kansas City with what was initially viewed as a minor knee problem, now also seems headed toward a season-ending outcome.

Injuries are unavoidable in football. The sport is punishing, and the healthiest teams often survive the longest. But after a 2024 campaign defined by physical setbacks, one conclusion is unavoidable: Detroit must take a long, hard look at how they assess and rehabilitate injured players if they want to avoid repeating the mistakes made with Arnold and Joseph.

Lions fall into the same injury trap as last season

Losing Arnold and Joseph—Detroit’s top pass defenders—creates massive holes in their secondary with two critical games ahead. The Lions host the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14, a team driven by an MVP-caliber Dak Prescott and his dynamic receiving duo of George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb.

Week 15 brings no relief. Detroit will face Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, and the high-powered Los Angeles Rams offense. These matchups could determine whether the Lions stay in the postseason hunt. But without their top defensive backs, it’s hard to imagine Detroit slowing down Stafford and company.

The Lions now have almost no usable depth left at corner or safety. Practice squad call-ups have helped in spots, but the team will likely need to turn to free agency and the draft to rebuild its defensive backfields—especially if Joseph’s knee injury is as serious as his recent social media activity suggests.

Looking ahead, fans will hope the organization becomes more conservative about allowing players to push through injuries. Arnold’s situation might have been avoided entirely had surgery been recommended when the shoulder problem first flared up around Week 5.