The Detroit Lions’ secondary problem became more concrete Monday: veteran defensive back Avonte Maddox needs season-ending foot surgery, and Detroit is responding by adding Jalen Mills to the practice squad.
Head coach Dan Campbell confirmed Maddox will miss the rest of the 2026 season after injuring his left foot in Thursday night’s 41-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills. ESPN also reported that Mills is joining Detroit’s practice squad after a Monday workout that included veteran defensive backs Jordan Fuller and Mike Edwards.
That moves the story beyond the initial wait for test results. FSN previously covered Maddox leaving the Bills game on crutches while Detroit awaited more information. The update is now definitive: surgery is required, Maddox is done for the year, and the Lions are already reshaping the depth chart behind him.
Avonte Maddox’s season is over
Maddox was injured in the second quarter against Buffalo after a collision with teammate Chuck Clark in the end zone. He left the field with help, was later carted to the locker room and did not return.
Reuters reported Monday that Campbell confirmed the 30-year-old will undergo season-ending surgery. Maddox finishes his 2026 season with 10 tackles and two passes defensed in two starts.
The timing is especially painful for Detroit because Maddox had been helping hold together a secondary already missing two of its best safeties.
Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are still not ready to practice
Detroit entered the season with Brian Branch recovering from an Achilles injury and Kerby Joseph working back from a knee issue. Both are on the physically unable to perform list and must remain out through at least Week 4.
Campbell said Monday that neither player will return to practice this week. ESPN reported Branch could be ahead of Joseph in the recovery process, but there is still no firm return date for either.
That leaves the Lions without the two safeties they expected to anchor the position and now without Maddox, who had been starting while they recovered.
Jalen Mills gives Detroit an experienced emergency option
The Lions worked out Mills, Fuller and Edwards on Monday as they searched for immediate help. ESPN reported Detroit is signing Mills to the practice squad.
Mills is familiar with the organization after appearing in three games for the Lions last season. That history matters because Detroit may need a player capable of contributing quickly rather than spending several weeks learning the system.
The practice-squad designation also gives the Lions flexibility. Mills can be elevated for game day if Detroit wants to use him immediately, while the front office can continue evaluating younger options on other practice squads or additional veteran free agents.
The secondary pressure is now both personnel and performance related
Detroit’s defense has allowed 71 points through two games, and ESPN noted the unit has surrendered 63 first downs, tied for the second-most ever through two games. The Lions do not have the luxury of treating their safety shortage as a future problem.
Maddox’s surgery guarantees one veteran option is gone for the season. Branch and Joseph are not yet ready to practice. Mills is therefore less of a luxury signing and more of an immediate attempt to stabilize a position group that has become one of Detroit’s biggest early-season concerns.
What comes next for the Lions?
The Lions host the New York Jets in Week 3. Between now and then, the key questions are whether Mills can get ready fast enough to dress, whether Detroit adds another defensive back, and how Campbell’s staff redistributes safety and nickel responsibilities without Maddox.
The broader picture is clear: Detroit’s original secondary plan has already been forced into a rewrite two games into the season.