Lions Get Unexpectedly Good News on Injured CB Terrion Arnold

This month was shaping up as a tough stretch for the Detroit Lions‘ secondary until the injury-plagued unit got a bit of good news on Tuesday, October 7.

Starting cornerback Terrion Arnold hurt his shoulder during the third quarter of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5, leaving the field on a cart. Detroit ultimately ruled him out for the afternoon and the update during Monday’s media availability was even worse.

“Unfortunately, he’s going to be out for a while,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters. “He’s going to be out for a long time.”

That framing of the injury served as a strong indication that Arnold was bound for the injured reserve list (IR), where fellow starting cornerback D.J. Reed currently resides due to a hamstring issue. However, a second opinion shone a ray of optimism on Arnold’s potential return timeline, leaving it far rosier than the picture Campbell painted the day prior.

A second opinion on Lions CB Terrion Arnold’s shoulder today revealed the injury is not as bad as feared and he now is expected to return, as one source described, ‘sooner than expected,’ quite possibly this month,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported via X.

Detroit won’t need to use one of its IR designations on Arnold if his prognosis has him back in the lineup at some point within the next three games. Sending a player to IR guarantees he will miss at least four weeks.

Terrion Arnold Has Struggled in 2nd NFL Season, but Played Well Against Bengals Prior to Injury

GettyDetroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold.

A first-round pick of the Lions in the 2024 NFL draft, Arnold hasn’t had a particularly strong year through five games.

Pro Football Focus ranks him as the 132nd-best cornerback out of 169 qualifying players at the position through Week 5. That said, his pass rush grade has improved slightly, though that isn’t a huge part of what the team asks him to do. And Arnold’s run defense grade has improved dramatically from his rookie year, up nearly 14 points based on PFF’s proprietary grading scale.

But Arnold’s coverage grade is down from his rookie campaign, when it was already far from stellar. As a result, his overall player grade is also slightly lower than it was when he finished 15th in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2024.

Still, Campbell spoke highly of the effort and overall play of Arnold against the Bengals on Sunday.

“He was very competitive,” Campbell said. “I thought he was calm. I thought he was cool. And I thought it was one of the better games he has played in a while. Thought he was pretty good. We put a lot on him, and I thought he answered the bell.”

Lions Will Face 2 Tough Opponents in Chiefs, Buccaneers Without D.J. Reed and Likely Without Terrion Arnold

GettyDetroit Lions cornerback D.J. Reed.

Part of the reason so much was on Arnold was the absence of Reed. And while he is on IR, that outcome actually proved better than what Reed initially though was going to be his situation following a severe hamstring strain against the Cleveland Browns in Week 4.

Like Arnold, Reed also left the field on a cart, which is almost always a terrible sign of the ensuing update.

“Reed didn’t participate in Wednesday’s practice but was spotted in the locker room without a boot or brace on his injured leg,” Eric Woodyard of ESPN reported October 1. “He said he thought he tore a hamstring off the bone, ‘but that’s not the case, thank God. I thought it was a wrap.'”

It is a guarantee that Reed won’t be back next week against the Kansas City Chiefs, and it still sounds highly unlikely Arnold will be ready in time for that contest. The Lions then face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on “Monday Night Football” on October 20 before their bye the following week.

UPDATE: Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Sean Tucker unexpectedly becomes Fantasy Football League's "golden winner" – Explosive performance analysis leaves players stunned.

Despite a Week 11 loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers noticed a pleasant spark from their backfield, amid the absence of star running back Bucky Irving. Third-year running back Sean Tucker saw the majority of the workload in a breakout performance last week, setting himself up for an expanded role as Irving is set to miss yet another game in Week 12.

Tampa Bay will gear up for a crucial matchup versus the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football, with Tucker slated to see a notable workload once again. After entering the season as Tampa Bay’s RB3, the Syracuse product emerged as the offense’s premier weapon versus Buffalo, after splitting carries with veteran back Rachaad White for much of the season.

In 19 carries, Tucker racked up a career-high 106 yards with two touchdowns on the ground. He also showed receiving versatility in the passing game, hauling in both of his targets for 34 yards and a third touchdown. In fantasy football, his 34.0 points among PPR leagues marked an RB2 finish in Week 12.

With another week of sustained production, Tucker could emerge as one of the top sleepers in fantasy football after flying under the radar coming into the season. Here’s how the Buccaneers back could emerge as a fantasy football league winner down the stretch of the season.

Buccaneers RB Sean Tucker Is A Fantasy Football League Winner

Tucker came into the season with an Average Draft Position of just 305.0 among PPR leagues, with a positional ranking of RB85, according to FantasyPros’ ADP data. Despite inconsistent volume, he’s already vastly outperformed his ADP over recent weeks, finishing among the top-26 running backs in fantasy in three of his last five games.

Given White’s inefficient play in Irving’s absence, Tucker could see another bump in workload this week and take over as the team’s leading back as the second-year starter continues to work his way back. Monitoring his recent production, he may have cemented his role regardless of Irving’s status as the starter.

While his volume could waver upon Irving’s return, his strong efficiency presents a safe floor for production, even as RB2 in Tampa Bay’s offense. Down the stretch of the season, Tucker could be considered a solid option at FLEX, or RB2 depending on the depth of any given fantasy lineup.

It’s hard to predict his outlook over the next several games, but Sunday night’s clash versus Los Angeles presents a start opportunity for the third-year back in fantasy. Fantasy owners can remain bullish on Tucker’s fantasy output as he continues to prove his value as a league-winner.

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