Detroit Lions Rookie WR Kendrick Law Tears ACL, Out For 2026 Season

The Detroit Lions unfortunately suffered an injury to a member of the 2026 rookie draft class.

Prior to the second week of organized team activities open to local media, head coach Dan Campbell spoke to local reporters and opened his media session announcing that wideout Kendrick Law suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

The injury occurred on Tuesday of this week. The former NFL tight end expressed his empathy that an injury happened so early in the career of a young player, but it will be something that gets rehabbed, with the hopes of a full recovery for next season.

"Hate it for him," Campbell expressed. "The kid was doing a good job. But it's part of it. It's a harsh reality, but he'll get it out of the way early, have his whole career in front of him."

As a result, he will miss his rookie season in the National Football League.

Additional Lions Insider Analysis: Amon-Ra St. Brown Praises One of Top NFL Receiver Rooms

Law was a fifth-round pick of the Lions, and general manager Brad Holmes made the decision to trade up to land the talented former Kentucky Wildcats receiver.

Detroit traded up a total of 13 spots in the fifth round to select Law with pick No. 168 overall. Detroit parted ways with picks 181 and 213 in order to make the deal.

According to a league scouting report, "Alabama transfer with a compact build whose primary function at Kentucky was to add yards after the catch on quick throws near the line of scrimmage. Law ran a limited route tree, with most of his 2025 targets thrown behind the line. Tight hips dull downfield route breaks and he rarely runs routes at his true speed. He has strong hands to make contested grabs and breaks tackles on a regular basis with the ball in his hands. Law’s special-teams background at Alabama helps but might not be enough for him to stick on a roster."

Detroit has a deep wide receivers room, including second-year wide receivers Dominic Lovett and Jackson Meeks, who are also working to earn more playing time and a spot on the roster.

For more comprehensive Detroit Lions coverage and NFL insider analysis, follow us on X, @detroitpodcast, head on over to our Facebook page and give it a like, follow us on TikTok, subscribe to the Detroit Lions On SI Lone Wolves YouTube Channel.

Add us as a preferred source on Google