Detroit Lions free-agent addition Christian Izien has been out since July 28th with a severe illness that put him on the non-football injury list. Head coach Dan Campbell could not commit to a specific timeline for him to return. However, he made it clear that he is close.
“He’s doing well,” said Campbell. “We felt really good about him; he’s close.”
Campbell made it clear that there were discussions about him returning for Week 1. Detroit plays the Buffalo Bills on the road in Week 2. So, Campbell also noted that the quick turnaround for a player who has been missing time would also be factored into their decision.
“I want to see what he looks like running around today, and then, knowing that we’re going on a short week after this, that will have a bearing on it too,” admitted Campbell. “But he’s moving around really well. I feel like he’s a little ahead of schedule in a good way, so we’ll see.”
Izien being ahead of schedule is a good thing. Campbell is making it sound like Week 1 might be a bit optimistic, but there is a strong chance he can play Week 2 as long as he continues at his current progression.
Detroit Lions Get Positive News on Christian Izien
The Lions signed Izien to a one-year, $2M deal in free agency this offseason. However, they feel they got value with him. The former UDFA saw the field in a significant role as a slot cornerback in 2023. However, in 2024, they started to move him to safety. He went from 780 snaps as a rookie to 697 in his second year. His PFF grade dropped from 67.7 to 57.6.
Izien played in just nine games in 2025 due to injury, but he was not involved on defense until Week 15. Still, he has 907 snaps in the slot and 737 as a safety. The Lions were intrigued by his versatility, especially with Brian Branch on the sideline. He would play a similar role when healthy.
Lions Have a New Option Returning to Secondary Soon
Izien is likely to compete in the slot, but also get work at safety when he returns. Detroit not only lost Brian Branch, but also Amik Robertson, who was their slot cornerback last year.
As things stand, Roger McCreary and Keith Abney are competing in the slot. The team has not announced a starter yet, which is telling. At safety, they have Chuck Clark and Avonte Maddox. Both players have held down the role all summer. Still, both are viewed as backups to Branch and Kerby Joseph.
Adding Izien not only gives them depth at both spots, but also versatility to do more in the back end based on the personnel that they are facing.
It will be interesting to see how the Lions’ defense looks in Week 1, and then what type of differences they show when Izien returns a week or two later.
Lions Veteran ‘Ahead of Schedule’ After Training Camp Absence