Detroit Lions veteran cornerback Emmanuel Moseley sustained a significant injury in a third straight year. Moseley, who suffered ACL tears in 2022 and in 2023 with Detroit, went down with a torn pectoral muscle early in Lions training camp. But, thankfully, Moseley's season is not yet over, with the Lions cornerback possibly being able to return this season.
Lions are placing CB Emmanuel Moseley on IR and he is eligible to come back this season. They are also keeping guard Christian Mahogany on the NFI list, and he is eligible to return after four games.
Instead, the Lions are placing Moseley on injured reserve. He adds that this transaction aims to make the injury-prone cover man eligible to return later this year. This would mean Detroit is planning to make Moseley an IR return player, which the league now allows before the NFL's annual roster cutdown day. The league now will enable teams to move up to two players to IR before the season. If the Lions designate Moseley as an IR-return player immediately, he will count toward the team’s eight-activation limit whether he returns this season.
Moseley suffered his torn pectoral during Week 1 of the preseason in a joint practice with the New York Giants. He was in line to compete for a starting job at the Lions’ nickel cornerback position. In his absence, Amik Robertson has assumed the starting nickel duties. But if Moseley can bounce back from this latest injury, he can at least have a chance to play for Detroit this season.
The comeback journey of Lions cornerback Emmanuel Moseley
After going undrafted in the 2017 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers signed Moseley out of Tennessee as an undrafted free agent. After working his way up from the practice squad as a rookie, Moseley became a starting corner in 2018. He’s struggled with injuries the last few years. From 2020 to 2022, he only played in 28 possible 50 regular season games.
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Moseley, 28, appeared only in one game and played only two defensive snaps last season for Detroit. Part of the Lions’ 2023 cornerback room overhaul, the 33-game starter was tied to a one-year, $6 million deal at that point. Following his second ACL tear, Moseley still commanded a $1 million guarantee. He's making $2.9 million this season.
“It's tough,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said about Moseley. “That's tough. He's the one that's put so much work into coming back from two ACLs. It's frustrating, but he knows. Look, you've got two decisions: You either rally one more time, or you say, you know what, enough is enough. My gut is going to tell me he's going to rally again.
“Nothing says that he may not be ready by the end of the year. We're still trying to figure all those things out.”
