Arnold was placed on injured reserve on Monday afternoon. NFL Network reports his season is over due to shoulder surgery expected to happen this week. Abra Richardson | MLive.com
ALLEN PARK — Terrion Arnold has been placed on injured reserve, leaving the Detroit Lions without the cornerback for the rest of the season.
The Lions placed him on injured reserve on Monday afternoon. NFL Network reports he will miss the rest of the season due to shoulder injury later this week.
Arnold returned to action after a two-game absence on Thanksgiving. The second-year cornerback played 18 defensive snaps in his return against the Green Bay Packers. But a shoulder injury kept him off the practice field on Monday, and now the severity is clear with his move to injured reserve.
Last year’s first-round pick had previously missed four games this season, exiting five of the eight he played. Arnold has dealt with previous shoulder injuries before this update, in addition to working through concussion protocol in recent weeks.
When he first suffered his shoulder injury, it was thought to be a long-term issue that could have ended his season. But a positive second opinion came through that time, with Arnold missing two games after the initial shoulder injury. The issue has resurfaced, with Arnold needing to go under the knife and miss the team’s crucial final five games.
Pro Football Focus ranks Arnold 96th among 119 cornerbacks with enough snaps to qualify on the season. He was credited for allowing 23 catches on 41 targets for 221 yards and two touchdowns, with six penalties called in eight games played.
Now, the Lions are back to missing half of their Day 1 starting outside cornerbacks just two games after D.J. Reed returned from his own IR stint.
Operating without Arnold is something this year’s version of the Lions should be used to at this point. Reed will hold things down on one side, while Rock Ya-Sin and Amik Robertson will again fill in the gaps.
The Lions also have Khalil Dorsey at cornerback, while Avonte Maddox has played all over the secondary during his career if it comes to that. Robertson has been shifting from the outside to the nickel, so they at least have some options.
Detroit’s defense has been gashed for 629 yards and seven passing touchdowns over its last two games. Arnold is out for the crucial stretch with the team’s postseason hopes hanging in the balance.
All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph was back at practice for the first time after missing six straight games. Joseph’s knee issues don’t sound like they are going away soon, with everything sounding uncertain.
Thomas Harper has been starting for Joseph at safety during this six-game stretch. Ya-Sin and Robertson have been counted on to fill in the holes for most of this season, so at least the depth has been tested.
In other transactional news, center Frank Ragnow reverted to the reserve/retired list on Monday. Ragnow tried to come out of retirement last week. But a failed physical due to a Grade 3 hamstring strain spoiled those hopes and dreams.
The Lions also claimed tight end Hayden Rucci from the Miami Dolphins. Sam LaPorta is on injured reserve, and Brock Wright is dealing with a trachea/neck injury, with an uncertain timeline. The Lions opened the 21-day return window for veteran tight end Shane Zylstra. But he’s been out since suffering an ankle injury in Week 2 and will likely need some time to get ready for game action.
Rucci, the 24-year-old out of Wisconsin, has no career catches while playing four games for the Dolphins this season. He brings some size at 6-foot-5, 247 pounds and will have a chance due to the dire situation at tight end around these parts.
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