The Detroit Lions are set to open the 2026 NFL campaign on Sunday against the visiting New Orleans Saints, and they’ve already been confirmed to be shorthanded for the matchup.
The Lions will be without the likes of center Cade Mays, who suffered a broken bone in his wrist during Training Camp; they will also be without safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, both of whom are on the PUP list to begin the campaign.
However, the good news is that despite experiencing a hamstring injury, rookie Derrick Moore, whom the Lions selected out of the University of Michigan as part of the 2026 NFL Draft, is expected to suit up in Week 1.
“I think he should be good to go,” head coach Dan Campbell said on Friday morning. “He’s put in two pretty good days here of heavy work. Heavy for him.”
Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell Believes Derrick Moore Will Play In Week 1 Against The Saints
The good news for the Lions is that, despite their numerous injury concerns, Moore is likely to hit the field in Week 1 for his first taste of real NFL action.
Now it’s time for the real work to begin. According to Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, fans shouldn’t get too far ahead of themselves with predictions on how rookies like Moore will perform, considering he has yet to play a single regular season snap in the NFL.
“Only time will tell. Some of these guys that you just named haven’t played one snap in the National Football League. The preseason’s over,” said Sheppard. “They haven’t played one snap in the National Football League. So all that’s potential, all that’s hype, all that’s rah-rah. We will see September 13th at 1:00 p.m. what’s real and what’s not. It is as simple as that. I’m not going to jump up here and say, ‘Oh yeah, we’re about to be a dominant front.’ I’m not saying that.
“Those guys know I don’t operate that way,” Sheppard continued. “A lot of people say they think I’m from Missouri because you’ve got to show me. Don’t sit up here and tell me what you’re going to do. We have the ability to play a game where you can show, where you can show me what you’re going to do. Don’t tell me what you’re going to do.”
Derrick Moore Was Drafted By The Lions Out Of The University Of Michigan
Moore was taken by the Lions out of the nearby University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in the second round (44th overall pick) of the 2026 NFL Draft; Detroit had traded with the New York Jets for the selection from their original position at 50th overall.
After recording two sacks as a freshman, he became a regular contributor on the Wolverines’ 2023 national championship team, highlighted by a game-sealing tackle against Alabama in the Rose Bowl.
Moore became a full-time starter as a junior in 2024 before breaking out in his final season. As a senior captain, he recorded 10 sacks, 30 tackles and two forced fumbles in 12 games, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors and the Bo Schembechler MVP award.
Lions’ Dan Campbell Reveals Derrick Moore’s Status For Week 1