Detroit Lions place safety Thomas Harper on injured reserve

The Detroit Lions secondary has faced significant attrition heading into their Week 3 matchup against the New York Jets. The team has placed safety Thomas Harper on injured reserve due to an ankle injury, which will cause him to miss at least the next four games.

This move follows the season-ending foot surgery of safety Avonte Maddox. The Lions' defensive backfield is already missing starting safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, who are currently on the reserve/physically unable to perform list and are not expected to return until Week 5.

To address the depth shortage, the Lions have elevated defensive back Jalen Mills and linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga from the practice squad to the active/inactive list. Other available players in the secondary include Chuck Clark, Christian Izien, and rookie Bishop Fitzgerald.