Ahead of their Sunday afternoon road matchup at the Arizona Cardinals (1-3), the Detroit Lions (2-2) made a Saturday roster move, elevating veteran safety Jalen Mills from the practice squad.
This is the third straight week Mills has been elevated from the practice squad as the team navigates a shorthanded secondary, with Avonte Maddox and Thomas Harper on injured reserve and Brian Branch not yet activated.
Lions have elevated DB Jalen Mills from the Practice Squad to the Active/Inactive list. pic.twitter.com/ihfgsEU9PP
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 10, 2026
Mills didn’t play on his first elevation, but he got four defensive snaps and six special teams snaps at the Carolina Panthers last week. Now that he's been with the team a few weeks, Mills will likely get more playing time against
the Cardinals on Sunday as the Lions try to find the right combination defensively to slow opposing offenses.
“I think (Keith) Abney will probably help us out a little bit more here this week. So will Mills. I can see both those guys taking on a bigger role,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Wednesday.
With three practice squad elevations for Mills, the Lions have now hit the maximum allowed for the veteran safety. That means if they want to play him again, they will have to sign him to the 53-man roster.
Fortunately for the Lions, they have a bye next week before their Week 7 clash against the Green Bay Packers. With Detroit expecting Pro Bowl safety Brian Branch to be ready by then, the Lions may keep Mills on the practice squad.
However, Mills could find his way onto the 53-man roster if he takes full advantage of his opportunity against the Cardinals on Sunday.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Detroit Lions use final practice squad elevation on veteran DB
