Detroit Lions cornerback Ennis Rakestraw's debut was halted by a shoulder injury in the first half of the team's preseason-opening 16-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Rakestraw appeared to injure both shoulders seven plays apart in the second quarter. He took a friendly fire hit from teammate Devin White and then tried to make a tackle on Bengals running back Tahj Brooks. Rakestraw stayed on the ground briefly after colliding with Brooks but walked off the field under his own power.
The injury is a concern for Rakestraw, who has battled injuries in his first two NFL seasons. As a rookie, he was limited to eight games due to a hamstring injury, and he missed all of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery. He's currently battling for a backup cornerback job behind D.J. Reed and Rock Ya-Sin.
Lions coach Dan Campbell downplayed the severity of Rakestraw's injury. "It's not major," Campbell said. "It ended up being, it's not a head shot we just think he got a little contusion in the arm and he thought it kind of made him numb, so I think he'll be all right."
Rakestraw's injury is just one of several concerns for the Lions' defense. Defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo left the game to be evaluated for a concussion after a friendly-fire collision with defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard. Safety Loren Strickland will also undergo an MRI on his left leg after he pulled up in pass coverage in the third quarter.
The Lions will hope that Rakestraw's injury is not as serious as it initially seemed. They will also be monitoring the status of Wingo and Strickland in the coming days. For now, the team is focusing on the positives, including a strong performance from their offense in the preseason opener.
Source: Yahoo Sports