Stop me if you've read this recently on this site, or any number of the wonderful sites covering the Detroit Lions: a key defender was injured during training camp, and his status is now fairly up in the air as the team is looking to be cautious about his injury so soon in the year.
This could be a statement about cornerback Ennis Rakestraw, or linebacker Derrick Barnes, or defensive tackle Roy Lopez. This time, it's about cornerback Terrion Arnold. He apparently suffered a leg injury during practice on Thursday, and it was later reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz that the injury was a bit more serious than initially thought.
Sources: #Lions CB Terrion Arnold left practice today with a strained calf. I’m told the team plans to be cautious before putting him back on the field.
LB Derrick Barnes, who also left practice, should be fine. pic.twitter.com/9GDH46l4kz— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) July 24, 2025
Arnold suffers calf strain in Week 2 of training camp
Calf injuries are no joke. For NBA fans, if you watched the NBA Finals, you know just how quickly those can go from a pestering injury to a full-blown Achilles tear. Tyrese Haliburton didn't need much time to figure that one out. Arnold is supposed to be entering his second year with Detroit after having a really solid rookie year - 10 passes defended and 47 solo tackles.
Now, it seems likely they'll shut Arnold down for a bit while they tend to that calf strain. There are different grades for these strains, but we don't have that information just yet. On Friday, the Lions will be suiting up for a padded practice for the first time this training camp, so we'll likely get some more information on Arnold's new timeline at that juncture.
It just feels like a bit of a joke at this point for the Lions and these injuries. You almost anticipate logging onto social media to be greeted with the next worst injury update on another defender that is a game changer for DC Kelvin Sheppard and the rest of the team.
Instead of a bounce back start to their 2025 campaign, the Lions are looking a whole lot like the 2024 version of themselves: hobbled and looking for ways to reduce risks.
With a preseason game right around the corner for Detroit, they need to be cautious as the whole point of training camp is to at least bring your veterans back up to NFL speed while not throwing them into these preseason contests in earnest. Those games are for feeling out second and third string options.
Suddenly, those second and third stringers might be considered starters if these injuries continue to decimate the Lions' depth in training camp and ahead of Week 1.
