Ennis Rakestraw Jr. preseason updates

Overview

During the Detroit Lions’ preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. sustained an arm injury while attempting a tackle. Although there was initial concern due to his previous injury history, head coach Dan Campbell described the incident as an arm contusion causing numbness rather than a major injury. Rakestraw also indicated the injury was not serious.

Following the game, Rakestraw disputed a performance grade of 29.3 issued by Pro Football Focus (PFF), which ranked him at the bottom of the Lions' roster for the game. Rakestraw argued that the evaluation lacked context regarding defensive schemes, noting that much of his play involved zone coverage rather than man-to-man. He stated, “They don’t know what they’re talking about anyway. They couldn’t even tell me what coverage we were in,” suggesting analysts lacked access to specific tactical instructions.

More recently, Rakestraw sustained a non-contact ankle injury during a Thursday training camp practice while attempting to change direction. According to FOX 2’s Dan Miller, the injury is “not considered serious,” as Rakestraw was able to walk off the field under his own power. His availability for the upcoming preseason game against the Washington Commanders remains undetermined. This latest incident adds to a history of injury challenges for the cornerback, including previous hamstring and shoulder issues.

Entities

Detroit Lions · Ennis Rakestraw Jr. · Cincinnati Bengals · Dan Miller · Mekhi Wingo

Timeline

1 day ago

[SPORTS] 3 sources
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. suffers non-serious ankle injury during Lions practice
Detroit Lions cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. sustained a non-serious ankle injury during Thursday's practice. His status for the upcoming preseason game against Washington is currently undetermined.
6 days ago

[SPORTS] 2 sources
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. disputes PFF performance grade
Detroit Lions cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. challenged a low 29.3 performance grade from Pro Football Focus, arguing the evaluation failed to account for the team's zone coverage schemes.
8 days ago

[SPORTS] 3 sources
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. suffers arm injury during Lions preseason opener
Detroit Lions cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. left the preseason opener against the Bengals with an injury, but head coach Dan Campbell reports it is a non-major arm contusion.

Sources

brasilemfolhas.com · detroitsportsnation.com · heavy.com · prideofdetroit.com · si.com

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history