ALLEN PARK -- Probably not the NFL debut he imagined.
Terrion Arnold broke a coverage that led to a long touchdown against Tampa, has been flagged three times for pass interference inside the 5-yard line, and is now the most-flagged player in the NFL overall heading into a Week 3 game against the Arizona Cardinals.
But after missing back-to-back days of practice, the first-round pick returned to work on Friday and appears to be trending toward playing in the desert.
“Today will be a big day for him,” head coach Dan Campbell said. “He was out there in walk-through. He’s feeling much better, and so today will be important for him, running around, practicing, see what it looks like. But I would say he’s trending the right way.”
The Lions also say Arnold’s game is trending the right way, despite some early hiccups. He’s allowed 11 of 13 targets to be completed for 129 yards, plus has been flagged four times for 82 yards, both of which are league highs. Those flags have led directly to 13 points.
Arnold also seemed to be the guilty party on a broken coverage that led to a 41-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin.
But no one in Allen Park is losing faith in the 24th overall pick.
“I have the ultimate confidence in that player, and I’m good with him learning as we go through this process,” defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said. “He’s going to be a damn good player for us.”
Second-round pick Ennis Rakestraw (hamstring) also returned to practice on Friday, while linebacker Alex Anzalone (brain) and guard Graham Glasgow (knee) practiced for a second straight day. Anzalone and Glasgow look like good bets to play in Arizona.
Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) was the only player not in uniform for the final practice of the week. The Lions have discussed whether to move him to injured reserve, but have resisted so far hoping he returns in the first month of the season.
