The Detroit Lions have had to deal with quite a few injuries in their secondary this training camp, but they got a bit of good news on Monday. Head coach Dan Campbell announced that corner/special teams ace Khalil Dorsey was activated from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and would begin practicing.
“We’re going to start Khalil Dorsey, he’s going to start (practicing) today,” Campbell announced at his press conference. “We’ll start today, individual, group, some of that stuff. Hopefully,
by the end of the week, we’ll get him worked into a few things. I don’t know if he’ll play (against the Texans) or not, but this is a step in the right direction.”
Dorsey has been unable to practice since breaking his leg in a Week 15 game against the Buffalo Bills last season. He opened 2025 training camp on the PUP, and Campbell noted at that time that the goal was to try to bring him back “late in camp” to try and get him ready for the regular season. That will give Dorsey two weeks before the regular season officially begins, and a full 20 days before the Lions’ opening game to get acclimated back to football.
This week, the Lions have two traditional training camp practices before welcoming in the Houston Texans on Thursday, and then playing them in their final preseason game on Saturday. Cutdowns are the following Tuesday, with the regular season schedule kicking off on Monday, September 1, with the Lions’ first regular season game being against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, September 7.
Dorsey’s return comes at an important time in the offseason. So far, the Lions have lost cornerbacks Ennis Rakestraw and DiCaprio Bootle to injured reserve, and could use some more experienced depth players on the outside. After starters Terrion Arnold, D.J. Reed, and Amik Robertson, the Lions have been leaning on veterans Rock Ya-Sin on the outside and Avonte Maddox at nickel, as their top reserves. Both veterans have also been cross-training at safety, as well. Beyond that, the Lions have six cornerbacks competing for a spot on the roster, but none have more than three years of experience.
It’s very likely the Lions won’t need Dorsey at corner early in the season, but as one of the better starting gunners in the NFL, Detroit will surely want to see if he’s ready to contribute on special teams as soon as possible. However, if he’s unable to jump in immediately, the Lions do have some quality options to lean on. In Dorsey’s absence, the Lions have primarily been using four gunners: Ya-Sin, and rookie receivers Isaac TeSlaa, Dominic Lovett, and Jackson Meeks. With at least three and maybe all four of those players in contention to make the 53-man roster, the Lions can make sure Dorsery is fully back before throwing him into the starting mix.
