Emmanuel Moseley has suffered a serious injury for the third year in a row. The veteran cornerback, who suffered ACL tears in 2022 and 2023, suffered a torn pectoral muscle at the start of Lions training camp. But his season is not over yet.
The Lions appear to be planning to try out the NFL’s new IR variant. According to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, they are placing Moseley on the IR, adding that this transaction is aimed at allowing the injury-prone backup to return later this year. This would mean Detroit plans to make Moseley an IR returnee, something the league now allows before roster reduction day.
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In previous years, it meant that a team that placed a player on the injured list before setting its initial 53-man roster would be ineligible for the upcoming season. Players returning to the injured list had to be added to the 53-man roster before being placed on the injured list. The league now allows teams to place up to two players on the injured list before the season. If the Lions immediately designate Moseley as a player returning to the injured list, he will count toward the team’s activation limit of eight players, whether or not he returns this season.
Detroit saw CJ Gardner-Johnson Returning from a torn pectoral muscle last year, Gardner-Johnson was out in Week 2 and made it back off the injured list by Week 18. However, Moseley missed almost all of last season and has two major knee surgeries on his NFL medical list. It would be interesting to see the Lions use one of their injured list options for him this early, but the team has shown some faith in the former 49ers starter by signing him in two consecutive offseasons.
However, the Lions have made significant adjustments to the corner this offseason. They traded for Carlton Davissigned Amik Robertson and used first and second round picks for Terrion Arnold And Ennis RakestrawThe team also signed another contract Kindle Spectrumalthough he won’t necessarily be named to the roster on Tuesday. CJGJ needed about 3 1/2 months to recover from his torn pectoral muscle. That timeline would make Moseley a candidate for a late November return, although that shouldn’t be considered a set recovery period.
Moseley, 28, played just two defensive snaps last season. As part of the Lions’ CB overhaul in 2023, the 33-game starter was locked into a one-year, $6 million deal at the time. After tearing his second ACL, Moseley still had $1 million guaranteed. His salary is pegged at $2.88 million.
The Lions also plan to place guard Christian Mahogany on the reserve/NFI list, Schefter added. The Lions drafted Mahogany in the sixth round this year. The Boston College product is battling an unspecified illness. Mahogany would be eligible to play after four games.
