The Detroit Lions took another hit to their secondary in Thursday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, watching cornerback Avonte Maddox get knocked out of the game with a foot injury.
The Lions struggled to contain a potent Bills offense, allowing the Bills to jump out to a 21-0 start en route to a 41-31 victory. After the game, head coach Dan Campbell shared some worry for Maddox’s outlook amid an already depleted secondary.
Avonte Maddox Faces Uncertain Future After Injury
Speaking to reporters after the game, Campbell said it made him “nervous” to see the usually durable Maddox taken out of the game. He was helped to the sidelines after suffering what the team called a foot injury, then carted off to the locker room.
“I don’t know. Maddox is pretty tough, so when he doesn’t come back that makes me nervous,” Campbell said, via Detroit Football Network. “But I won’t know until tomorrow for sure.”
The Lions took another hit later in the game when reserve cornerback Rock Ya-Sin was also taken out with an injury.
Lions Get Extra Time to Recover
The Lions will now have a 10-day break before taking the field again, and could use it to heal some of their injuries. While the outlook for Maddox is not yet clear, the Lions already know they will be without two key members of the secondary. Safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch both started the season on the reserve/PUP list, ensuring that they will each miss at least the first four weeks of the season.
The Lions had another unexpected loss this offseason, parting ways with cornerback Terrion Arnold after he was charged in an alleged kidnapping and assualt scheme.
As SI.com’s Christian Booher noted, Maddox was expected to take on a bigger role to account for the injuries.
“With Branch and Joseph both having uncertain return dates, as they will be out at least through Week 4 while on PUP, Maddox was counted on to play a vital role in Detroit’s secondary alongside Izien and another free agent signing in veteran Chuck Clark,” Booher wrote.
“Maddox has appeared in 96 games with 45 starts throughout his career, and is now in his ninth season in the NFL. Prior to coming to Detroit, he played the first seven seasons of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles and won a Super Bowl with them in the 2024 season.”
The Lions struggled across all levels on defense in Thursday’s loss, leading linebacker Jack Campbell to take blame for the performance.
“I’m gonna be honest with you. Hats off to them; played terrible. It starts with me, and I feel like it’s on me. I gotta be better,” Campbell said, via ESPN. “And I ain’t got no other thing to do but look in the mirror and be better so that’s really where it starts. It starts with us, but yeah, they did a good job.”
Lions HC Dan Campbell Makes Worrying Statement on Injured Cornerback