The Detroit Lions only have one exhibition game remaining on their schedule, which takes place Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts, before they turn their attention to their regular season schedule for the upcoming 2026 NFL campaign.
Like many teams right now, the Lions are dealing with a myriad of injuries to key players, not the least of which is a broken wrist for center Cade Mays, Detroit’s prize offseason acquisition.
Speaking of offseason acquisitions, the Lions took a waiver on former New Orleans Saints first-round pick defensive end Payton Turner, who has experienced an extensive injury history in his career.
Unfortunately, that history continued in Detroit.
The Detroit Lions Have Placed DE Payton Turner On Injured Reserve
GettyPhoto by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Unfortunately, Turner wasn’t able to showcase his talents for the Lions in Training Camp, and it’s been confirmed by multiple sources on Thursday afternoon that the club has placed him on Injured Reserve.
NFL Insider Ari Meirov was the first to report the news:
“Lions DE Payton Turner, the former 1st-round pick of the Saints who signed this offseason, was placed on IR, ending his season in Detroit,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Unfortunately, it looks as though Turner’s tenure in Detroit is over before it officially even began.
Payton Turner Has Experienced Numerous Injury Concerns Throughout His NFL Career
Turner was taken in the first round (28th overall pick) by the Saints in the 2021 NFL Draft, but unfortunately, he’s been hampered by multiple injuries that have had a major eff
The Saints placed him on injured reserve with a shoulder injury during his rookie season, and a turf toe injury suffered in the 2023 opener later cost him several months of action.
The Saints decided to move on from him, as they declined Turner’s fifth-year option in 2024, and he subsequently spent the 2025 season with the Dallas Cowboys after signing a a one-year, $2.5 million deal before another injury landed him on injured reserve.
Turner then joined the Lions this past March, signing a one-year contract worth $1.145 million.
So far in his NFL career when he’s managed to stay healthy, Turner has amassed 50 tackles with five sacks, a pair of forced fumbles, four pass deflections, and a fumble recovery.
Lions Confirm Worst-Case Injury News For Key Offseason Acquisition