The Detroit Lions’ 2026 roster cuts came with a ton of surprises. And while the following day’s construction of the practice squad provided some clarity, there are certainly some unanswered questions about the team.
So, on this week’s PODcast, we offered our reactions to the Lions’ 53-man roster, broke down some of our favorite and least favorite decisions, and looked at the overall state of each position as the team begins its preparation for Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints.
While we go position-by-position
in this week’s show, there are a few topics that really dominate the conversation.
First is the running back room, where the Lions shockingly kept five players—most notably Jabari Small, who has dealt with several injuries this camp. Why did the Lions roster him? Are there some roster shenanigans coming? Is this an indictment of Isiah Pacheco’s health? Or do the Lions truly intend to roster five running backs all season?
Then there’s the biggest controversy of all: no Greg Dortch on the 53-man roster, nor the practice squad. He now resides with the Buffalo Bills. What happened there? What are the Lions’ plans at returner? How did the Lions’ receiver room go from one of the deepest Dan Campbell has ever seen to keeping just four players on the main roster?
Finally, there’s the cornerback room. How did Ennis Rakestraw make the roster over Nick Whiteside, and does it even matter since Whiteside is back on the practice squad? Beyond that, how are we feeling about the depth in the secondary? Should Lions general manager Brad Holmes have done a better job “pessimistic planning” when the Terrion Arnold news first surfaced? Is there anything he could have realistically done anyways?
We break all of that down—plus all of the positions in between—on this week’s show. As always, you can catch the PODcast on whatever podcasting platform is your favorite or use the Spotify embed below.
As always, catch the video version of the PODcast over on our YouTube page or Twitch channel. This week features bonus Lions talk, plus I talk about a couple of TV opportunities I had while “acting” in Los Angeles.
