Lions to place CB Emmanuel Moseley on IR

The Lions look to be planning to try out the NFL’s new IR wrinkle. They are placing Moseley on IR, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who adds this transaction is aimed at the injury-prone cover man being eligible to return later this year. This would mean Detroit is planning to make Moseley an IR-return player, which the league is now allowing before the roster cutdown day.

In prior years, a team placing a player on IR before setting its initial 53-man roster meant that the player was out of the picture for the season. IR-return players had needed to be carried through to 53-man rosters before being placed on IR. 

The league is now allowing teams to move up to two players to IR before the season. If the Lions designate Moseley as an IR-return player immediately, he will count toward the team’s eight activation limit whether he returns this season or not.

Detroit saw C.J. Gardner-Johnson return from a torn pec last year. Gardner-Johnson went down in Week 2 and made it back off IR by Week 18. That said, Moseley missed almost all of last season and has two major knee surgeries on his NFL medical sheet. 

It would then be interesting to see the Lions use one of their IR activations on him so early, but the team has shown some faith in the former 49ers starter by signing him in back-to-back offseasons.

The Lions did, however, make significant adjustments at corner this offseason. They traded for Carlton Davis III, signed Amik Robertson and used first- and second-round picks on Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. The team also re-signed Kindle Vildor, though he is not a lock to make the roster Tuesday. 

It took CJGJ roughly three-and-a-half months to recover from his pec tear. That timetable would make Moseley a candidate to return by late November, though that should not be considered a firm recovery period.

Moseley, 28, played only two defensive snaps last season. Part of the Lions’ 2023 CB overhaul, the 33-game starter was tied to a one-year, $6M deal at that point. Following his second ACL tear, Moseley still commanded a $1M guarantee. He is tied to a $2.88M salary.

The Lions are also planning to move guard Christian Mahogany to the reserve/NFI list, Schefter adds. The Lions drafted Mahogany in the sixth round this year. The Boston College product is dealing with an undisclosed illness. Mahogany would be eligible to return after four games.