Detroit Lions wide receiver Tom Kennedy injured his knee in the second half of the Lions’ win over the Arizona Cardinals. Head coach Dan Campbell made it clear that the injury was not going to be good for his status in the short term.
“TK, it doesn’t look good as far as anything short term,” said Campbell. “I think it could be a sprain. But I don’t think it’s long-term.”
Campbell noted that Kennedy was starting to come into his own as the Lions’ return option.
“TK, I really thought he hit it, man,” said Campbell. “We kind of challenged him on hitting some of these returns. And man, that first one was outstanding. That second one, he caught it, and he put his foot in the ground, and he took it to heart.”
Kennedy had a strong 26-yard return in this game. This season, Kennedy had 10 returns for 236 yards. The year prior, he had 16 returns for 447 yards. For his career, he has 36 returns for 939 yards.
Detroit Lions Lose Tom Kennedy for the Short Term
Kennedy is a 2019 UDFA for the Lions. He spent most of his rookie season on the Lions’ practice squad. Then, he spent the entire 2020 season on the practice squad. In total, he has been active for 34 games. He has just 18 catches for 231 yards, so his primary role has been special teams. He just started to take on a return role more full-time in 2025.
The Lions kept him despite being on the roster bubble in training camp. They challenged him in the return game, and he looked good until an injury ended things. Now, they will look for help in the return game.
Lions Need a Return Man
It is going to be interesting to see who the Lions add to help them in the return game. On the current roster, Jacob Saylors has some experience, but that is because he is the up back. The Lions are unlikely to change his role after the Kennedy injury.
They have Tay Martin as their only depth receiver, and he is more of a gunner on special teams. The most likely option is Dominic Lovett, who is currently on the Lions’ practice squad.
Lovett made the Lions roster last season and had one return for 22 yards. The team kept Kennedy over the former seventh-round pick this year. However, he cleared waivers and circled back to the Lions’ practice squad.
The team will likely place Kennedy on the IR and sign Lovett to the practice squad as the correlating move. If they do not start Lovett, they are going to have to add someone in free agency.
Dan Campbell Reveals Troubling Injury News for Lions