The Detroit Lions have been anything but healthy in the early goings of this current season, as the likes of center Cade Mays, along with safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph have yet to appear on the field in game action.
The Lions also lost safety Avonte Maddox for the remainder of the season; he underwent surgery.
As if that wasn’t enough of a blow to Detroit’s struggling secondary, they were dealt another disappointing setback on Saturday afternoon with the latest update on safety Thomas Harper.
The Detroit Lions Have Placed Safety Thomas Harper On Reserve/Injured
In the latest blow to the secondary, the Lions have placed safety Thomas Harper on Injured Reserve.
In corresponding moves, they’ve elevated DB Jalen Mills and LB Amen Ogbongbemiga from the practice squad to their active/inactive list.
“Lions announce roster moves: Placed S Thomas Harper on Reserve/Injured. Elevated DB Jalen Mills and LB Amen Ogbongbemiga from the Practice Squad to the Active/Inactive list,” the Lions reported on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Earlier this week, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that he wasn’t optimistic that Harper would be able to play against the Jets. He’s appeared in both of Detroit’s opening two games of the season, and has five total tackles.
Harper went undrafted in 2024 before signing with the Los Angeles Chargers. He was waived during the team’s final roster cuts that August and was subsequently claimed by the Las Vegas Raiders.
After spending the 2024 season with Las Vegas, Harper was waived in late August of 2025; the Lions claimed him off waivers the following day.
The Lions will kick off against the Jets on Sunday from Ford Field beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET.
The Lions Will Need Other Players To Pick Up The Slack
Meanwhile, the Lions will be looking to both Christian Izien and Keith Abney II to help pick up the slack in the absence of their regular starting safeties.
“Izzy’s been working a lot back there and had a full week,” Campbell said on Friday. “And he’s gotten a ton of work this week, a ton of reps, full-speed reps. This is what you’re going to do, this is the calls and just dousing him with full-speed reps, and he’s done a good job this week.
“And then Abney sprinkles back there a little bit as a reserve. We got Mills we brought him into, and then we’re getting a look at Bishop. That’ll kind of come down to the wire here over the next couple of days.”
Lions Secondary Suffers Another Blow Ahead of Week 3 vs. Jets