Detroit Lions CB Ennis Rakestraw Placed on IR for 2025 NFL Season

Here we go again, folks. Another Lions season, and another promising player heading to the injured reserve early. This time, it’s second-year cornerback Ennis Rakestraw, whose shoulder decided it would rather take the season off. Following a practice mishap over the weekend, Detroit has officially placed the 2024 second-round pick on IR. Translation? He’s out for the entirety of 2025 unless he somehow parts ways with the Lions via an injury settlement. But don’t hold your breath on that one; the team isn’t about to cut bait on a guy they invested significant draft capital in just last year.

More Injuries Than Highlights

Rakestraw’s time in Detroit so far? Well, it’s been less highlight reel and more medical tent. His rookie season saw him suit up for just eight games, thanks to ankle and hamstring injuries. And just as it seemed he might be back at full strength for training camp, life threw another wrench into the works. You can’t make this up.

The bogged-down young corner even posted a now-Instagram-famous hospital gown video on Thursday morning, officially confirming his surgery to the world. Classy move, Ennis. And hey, if he plans to document this recovery like a Netflix series, the Lions secondary might just need the entertainment.

Campbell’s Classic Candor

Dan Campbell, never one to sugarcoat reality, summed it up with brutal honesty when asked about Rakestraw’s season-ending news. “You hate it for the kid. You hate it,” Campbell said. No kidding, Coach. That’s got to be the understatement of the year for a team that could have used more depth in the secondary.

Detroit, already down a starting-caliber corner after losing Carlton Davis III to the Patriots, continues to face questions about their defensive backfield. Sure, the Lions still have guys like Amik Robertson back there. But given how many points they’ve bled out of that secondary over the past few seasons, rolling with unproven assets feels like trying to stop a flood with duct tape.

The CB Carousel Spins Again

With Rakestraw sidelined, the Lions wasted no time making a move. Enter Luqman Barcoo. Name ring a bell? If you dig deep enough, you’ll find him last making regular-season defensive stops for the Jaguars way back in 2020. Most recently, he warmed up the bench for the Cowboys practice squad. Detroit fans could be forgiven for not expecting a miracle here.

For now, Barcoo joins a crowded room of cornerbacks fighting to make a statement this summer. Yes, the bodies are technically there, but the talent gap seems glaring. After all, this is still a defense ranked 28th in passing yards allowed last year. Have fun, Luqman.

What It Means for Detroit

Rakestraw’s absence? It stings. Expectations surrounding him as a second-round pick were significant. He was brought in to help solidify a defense that has consistently been the Lions’ Achilles’ heel. And while the 2025 Lions offense could easily be one of the league’s more explosive units, it won’t mean much if their defense is coughing up 30 points every Sunday.

For Rakestraw, this is yet another frustrating pause in what was supposed to be the start of a promising NFL career. For the Lions, it’s back to the drawing board yet again, trying to fill holes and plug leaks in a secondary that continues to wobble on shaky ground.

Here’s hoping Rakestraw makes a swift and full recovery. However until he does, Detroit’s cornerback situation? Well, it’s looking more and more like the football equivalent of duct-taped training wheels. Buckle up, Lions fans. This ride might get bumpy.