Ennis Rakestraw Placed on IR, Emmanuel Moseley Activated

Emmanuel Moseley set to make season debut against Colts.

Detroit Lions cornerback Emmanuel Moseley. / Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Detroit Lions announced a series of roster moves ahead of Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts. 

Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley was activated off of the injured reserve list. To make room for him on the active roster, rookie cornerback Ennis Rakestraw was placed on the injured reserve list.

The rookie defensive back was not listed on the injury report until Friday, when he was ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Because he was placed on injured reserve, Rakestraw will not be able to return to action until after the team's Week 15 matchup with the Buffalo Bills. To this point in his rookie season, Rakestraw has played predominately on special teams.

Additionally, the Lions elevated linebacker David Long Jr. from the practice squad. Long was signed to the practice squad to add depth after the injury to Alex Anzalone, and is a veteran addition who started six games for the Miami Dolphins, prior to his surprise release.

Long has played six years in the NFL and totaled 381 tackles, four interceptions and 26 tackles for loss in his career. The veteran seems primed for a depth role with the proven experience to be able to contribute despite joining the team earlier in the week.

“Well, he’s played football, he’s played the linebacker position, he’s banked a lot of reps and played really good football,” coach Dan Campbell said about the veteran linebacker. “He’s really one of those guys, got a knack for finding the ball, he’s an aggressive player, run-and-hit, and so, it gave us a chance to have somebody that, if we need it, and he can acclimate to what we do, how we do things here, get on top of the playbook, then if we can use him, we’ll use him."

It will be Moseley's first game of the season, as he had been out since suffering a torn pec in joint practices against the New York Giants. Moseley played just one game for the Lions last season, as he suffered a torn ACL on his third snap of the season.

In addition to Rakestraw, the Lions will also be without Terrion Arnold who was downgraded to out earlier Saturday. As a result, Moseley could be primed for a big role in his season debut. Detroit could also turn to Khalil Dorsey or Kindle Vildor at the position opposite Carlton Davis.

MORE: Terrion Arnold Ruled Out Against Colts

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Campbell's team has another tough road test, but the group has measured up to each of these tests that they've faced throughout the 2024 season.

Detroit is 11-3 in its last 14 road games since the start of the 2023 season. 

The Lions are unbeaten on the road this season, including impressive wins at Arizona, Minnesota, Green Bay and Houston. Part of their success has stemmed from the fact that their fans travel so well, while they also have shown that they take pride in winning games on the road. 

“Well, I think our guys do a good job of honing in on the game in front of you and I do think there’s – I think we like being on the road too. We love home, you get your home crowd, and believe me, we’re all about that. But there’s also something about the challenge of going on the road and it’s just you. It’s just us and when you do something good, you don’t hear anything until our fans start going," Campbell said. "But that’s kind of what you’re shooting for. ‘Man, let’s go make a play that shuts this whole place down and gets it quiet in here.’ So, I just think there’s a little bit of a mindset about it. We appreciate that and we like the challenge of it.”