The Detroit Lions received bad news on the injury front Thursday with cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. The second-year defensive back helped deliver the news himself.
MLive.com’s Kory Woods tweeted that Rakestraw posted a picture of himself appearing in a hospital bed on Instagram.
“On Thursday morning, the second-year defender posted a GIF of himself on his Instagram account in what appears to be a hospital bed, donning a patient’s cap and gown,” wrote Woods.
The cornerback then delivered a message through his Tik Tok account.
“I’ll be back soon,” the message said in the video. “Been a rough two years. But I’ll never question God. Just want to play the game I love dearly, and show my people who I am and the kids who grew up like me it’s possible.
“So I’ll win in the end, just been a blurry road I’ve been on. I know it’s a clear road ahead, just have to keep pushing.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported just after Rakestraw’s video went live that the cornerback underwent shoulder surgery. While it was success, Schultz added that Rakestraw will miss the 2025 NFL season.
“A tough blow for the talented 2nd-round pick, who was poised to take on a much bigger role in Detroit’s secondary this year before suffering the injury in practice,” wrote Schultz.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. Out for 2025 NFL Season: Report
The cornerback has had terrible luck on the injury front during his NFL career.
Just in training camp this summer, Rakestraw sustained two injuries. On July 20, he left practice with a chest injury. The bruise sidelined him for a few days.
Then on August 3, Rakestraw suffered a shoulder injury. A couple days after the ailment, Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters Rakestraw would be out for “a while.”
“You hate it for the kid. You hate it,” Campbell said, via Woods. “It’s not his fault. Just one of those tough deals. All you can do is try to get it better, rehab, come back stronger, and move on. That’s all you can do.”
After Rakestraw’s injury, the Lions signed cornerback Luq Barcoo.
Rakestraw to Miss 2nd NFL Season After Disappointing Rookie Year
The Lions drafted both Rakestraw and Terrion Arnold to fix their secondary after making the NFC Championship during the 2023 season. Detroit selected Rakestraw out of Missouri at No. 61 overall in the second round.
As a rookie, Rakestraw missed Weeks 2 and 3 because of a hamstring injury. He returned for Week 4 but played a small role on defense before ending the season on injured reserve because of an injured hamstring.
In eight games, Rakestraw posted six combined tackles while playing 46 defensive snaps and 95 snaps on special teams.
The Lions hoped Rakestraw would bounce back this season. But that won’t happen now because of another injury.
It’s worth wondering what the young cornerback’s future in Detroit will be. While still only 23 years old, Rakestraw has missed valuable development time because of two season-ending injuries.
In the short term, the Lions could play veteran free agent signee D.J. Reed and Amik Robertson more often to replace Rakestraw this season. Detroit also added veterans Rock Ya-Sin and Avonte Maddox this past offseason.
