Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Lions Links for Tuesday 7-21-26

Articles:


Why Detroit Lions Won't Miss RB David Montgomery in 2026:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/why-detroit-lions-won-t-miss-rb-david-montgomery-2026

Sports Illustrated Lists Lions as Team Capable of Winning Super Bowl:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/sports-illustrated-lists-lions-team-capable-winning-super-bowl

One Lions Rookie With The Best Chance to Surprise Everyone at 2026 Training Camp:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/one-lions-rookie-with-the-best-chance-surprise-everyone-2026-training-camp













3 surprise cuts the Lions could make before the 2026 season, including a familiar fan favorite:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/3-surprise-cuts-the-lions-could-make-before-the-2026-season-including-a-familiar-fan-favorite/


One overlooked player from every NFC North team that every fan should know before becoming bigger stories at training camp:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/chicago-bears-news/nfc-north-training-camp-surprise-player-jager-burton-jackson-meeks-jayden-loving-elijah-williams/


Previewing the top storylines for 2026 NFL training camps (Five injuries to monitor - Brian Branch/Kerby Joseph, S, Detroit Lions. A little two-fer here. The Lions' starting safety duo was a driving force behind their deep postseason run in 2023 and has remained one of the league's best tandems. But now both have serious availability concerns for a huge 2026 season in Detroit.  Branch's situation is more cut and dry. Branch tore an Achilles in early December against the Cowboys. Coach Dan Campbell was unwilling to put a timeline on Branch's recovery in June but said "there's no setbacks with him. ... He's doing a good job. He's putting in the work, but until we really get closer, I hate to start throwing a timetable on him." Despite Campbell's ambiguity, this sounds like a player unlikely to make an early appearance as training camps kick off. Any activity from Branch during practice in August would offer a huge sign that his return is imminent, but defensive backs can't mess around with Achilles tears. The Lions will go slow with Branch.  Joseph is a trickier situation. A chronic knee issue kept him out of the final 11 games of the 2025 season. He was absent from OTAs earlier this summer, so it's uncertain just how close he is to returning to the field. Also uncertain is how many snaps he can take when he returns. If Joseph's knee remains a pain management issue for the remainder of his career, then the Lions might struggle to play him for 100% of snaps in a 17-game season. Of course, fitting Joseph into a rotation would have been easier before the other starting safety, Branch, was also slated to miss time.  Detroit might spend all of camp onboarding two new starting safeties. And they're filling big shoes -- Branch and Joseph were listed as top-10 safeties in Jeremy Fowler's annual poll of NFL coaches and executives.):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49377860/2026-nfl-season-training-camp-storylines-quarterbacks-rookies-injuries

50 overlooked players who could have major say during 2026 NFL season (Known face, new place (16) - 34.  Roger McCreary Detroit Lions CB:  McCreary's role may have increased drastically following Terrion Arnold's arrest and release from the Lions. McCreary can play in the slot and outside if needed and has generally provided solid play; last year, he was PFF's No. 25-rated cornerback. The Lions need all the help they can get in an injury-ravaged secondary.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-under-the-radar-players-2026-season/

Conor Orr’s 14 Teams That Can Actually Win Super Bowl LXI (Detroit Lions:  The Lions have the league’s most generous schedule by some measures, which we must consider alongside this startling fact: Despite changing offensive coordinators at midseason, and heaping a ton of extra responsibility on Dan Campbell’s plate, the Lions still managed to finish third in passing yards and passing touchdowns, tied for fourth in points, tied for fourth in turnovers and seventh in yards per rushing attempt. The Lions won nine games last season, beat the Bears twice and rolled into the bye week at 5–2. New OC Drew Petzing is, I feel, a highly underrated offseason signing. After the Lions flirted with Mike McDaniel, settling on Petzing, the former Cardinals offensive coordinator, should help stabilize and make more sensible a run game and protection scheme that left some of the Lions’ best players hung out to dry under former coordinator John Morton. The loss of Terrion Arnold is undeniable, though Detroit has prided itself on the man-off-the-street mentality when it comes to the league’s No. 3 most frequent man defense.):  https://www.si.com/nfl/conor-orr-14-teams-super-bowl-lxi-digital-cover

Ranking the 10 Best NFL Safeties for 2026: Talanoa Hufanga Cracks Top Five After Dominant First Year With Broncos (6. Brian Branch, Detroit Lions:  Branch was part of a loaded Lions draft haul in 2023 that included the likes of Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell and Sam LaPorta, among others. He fell to the second round despite being widely viewed as the No. 1 safety prospect in the class, which allowed Detroit to snag him the No. 45 pick. The 24-year-old has started 37 games since joining the Lions’ secondary, tallying 258 total tackles, 38 passes defensed, seven interceptions and 4.5 sacks. In 2024, he earned his first career Pro Bowl nod.  Branch enters 2026 coming off quite the rollercoaster ’25 campaign. After a postgame altercation with Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster landed him a one-game suspension in mid-October, the safety then tore his Achilles tendon during a Week 14 win over the Cowboys. The injury caused him to miss Detroit’s final five games of the season, and puts his start to the 2026 season in jeopardy.  Still, Branch’s track record and long-term potential at the position land him just outside our top five. – M.K.):  https://www.si.com/nfl/ranking-10-best-nfl-safeties-2026-talanoa-hufanga-kyle-hamilton

Every NFL team's biggest 2026 addition, from Fernando Mendoza to Myles Garrett (Detroit Lions: OT Blake Miller - Attrition carved down one of the league's best offensive lines. Taylor Decker's release means an opening up front, and Miller -- one of 2025's most reliable college tackles -- has been tasked with following in Penei Sewell's footsteps as the All-Pro moves to the left side.  As it stands, Sewell is the only returning starter from the Lions' breakthrough 2024 campaign, leaving plenty of work to be done for a franchise that went from NFC top seed to NFC North basement dweller last winter. Miller has the athleticism and size to be a proper bookend for Sewell.):  https://ftw.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2026/07/20/2026-nfl-preview-biggest-addition-myles-garrett-malik-willis-fernando-mendoza/90955344007/

Three Bold Predictions for the Lions That Might Actually Come True in 2026:  https://athlonsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-2026-bold-predictions-gibbs-teslaa-moore

Ten NFL Undrafted Free Agents Could Take Training Camp By Storm (Luke Altmyer, Detroit Lions, QB:  Illinois' Luke Altmyer was the best quarterback that went undrafted. He made significant strides last season, posting a career-high 67.4% completion percentage, and tying his previous career high in touchdown passes with 22, and fewest interceptions with just five. Altmyer making the Detroit Lions' roster would mean they are willing to keep three quarterbacks, with Jared Goff and Teddy Bridgewater present.):  https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/onsi/late-round-expert/ten-nfl-undrafted-free-agents-could-take-training-camp-by-storm

2026 NFL Odds: Which Division Loser Can Go Worst To First? (Lions (9-8 overall, 2-4 NFC North): The shocker of the bunch. After going a combined 27-7 in 2023 and 2024, which included back-to-back NFC North titles, Detroit finished last in the division in 2025. The Lions didn't get off to a bad start, going 5-2 in the first seven weeks, before losing six of their last 10.):  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/2026-nfl-odds-which-division-loser-can-go-worst-first

Video:

Will Lions fly under-the-radar and take back the NFC North? | 'GMFB':  https://www.nfl.com/videos/will-lions-fly-under-the-radar-and-take-back-the-nfc-north-gmfb

Jared Goff shares Lions expectations for 2026 | 'The Insiders':  https://www.nfl.com/videos/jared-goff-shares-lions-expectations-for-2026-the-insiders



Posted by LionsFan at 7:26 PM

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