In another move few saw coming, the Detroit Lions are reportedly waiving cornerback Nick Whiteside, per Nolan Bianchi
Early in camp, Whiteside was one of the best cornerbacks on the field. He went from the bottom of the depth chart to earning some reps with the first-team defense, and he didn’t look out of place. However, some of that momentum slowed toward the end of training camp. In recent days, Whiteside had dropped back to safety to help out a very injured back end of the roster. However, that versatility
wasn’t apparently enough to win him a spot on the initial 53-man roster.
Whiteside failed to make Detroit’s 53-man roster last year, as well. But he ended up spending most of the year on the team’s practice squad before getting the call-up—and shining—in the team’s “Legion of Whom” win over the Tampa Buccaneers.
It will be interesting to see how the Lions approach their cornerback room in the upcoming days. After cutting Terrion Arnold earlier this offseason, the depth of the room doesn’t look particularly strong, with D.J. Reed and Rock Ya-Sin holding down the starting positions. Behind them are 2024 second-round pick Ennis Rakestraw, veterans Roger McCreary and Khalil Dorsey, as well as rookie Keith Abney—amongst other late additions.
Whiteside will hit the waiver wire, and if he clears, he could return to the practice squad.
Check all of the latest roster moves with our 2026 Detroit Lions roster cuts tracker.
