Lions Set Their 53 as Saints Loom at Ford Field on Sept. 13

Cutdown weekend is upon us, Lions faithful, and by 6 p.m. ET Sunday our roster gets trimmed to 53 — the hardest math of the whole calendar, with real contributors set to clear out their lockers. It's the price of a deep roster, and Detroit has built one after finishing 9-8 and posting a winning record for the fourth straight campaign, even as we missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022. The injury news is what sobers you up. Safeties Kerby Joseph (knee) and Brian Branch (Achilles) are both unlikely to be back ahead of Week 1, and former Panthers center Cade Mays, targeted by Detroit as a free agent this offseason, is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks with a wrist injury and will likely open on injured reserve. Behind Jared Goff, we signed Joshua Dobbs after Teddy Bridgewater unexpectedly retired during camp. One bright spot: Sam LaPorta, back to full strength entering Year 4 after that season-ending back injury. First-year coordinator Drew Petzing gets his weapons back, and we open the regular season against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 13 at Ford Field.