4 Winners, 2 Losers After 2026 Detroit Lions Trade Deadline

The NFL trade deadline has come and gone.

For the Detroit Lions, the hours leading up to the deadline saw the addition of former New York Jets safety Andre Cisco. Now in his sixth NFL season, Cisco has logged valuable experience playing multiple spots in the secondary for the Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Detroit's inactivity otherwise left the fan base wanting more, as the team did not address its needs at the cornerback and linebacker position. In particular, the team elected to not add a linebacker after the injury to Jack Campbell.

Here are winners and losers from the Lions' trade deadline decisions.

Winners

Kelvin Sheppard

Detroit's defensive coordinator has his group trending up over the team's four-game winning streak. They capped off this recent run of success with a strong performance in which they didn't allow a touchdown against the Dolphins.

Now, he gets another option in the secondary with Cisco that he can utilize in a number of different ways. It adds more depth to the group, and could also allow him to be flexible with the usage of players like Keith Abney II and Brian Branch.

While the Lions didn't make a splash addition at the cornerback or linebacker spot like some believed they would, Sheppard ultimately got another playmaker that could help the defense.

CB Ennis Rakestraw

Because the Lions didn't add a big name cornerback, Rakestraw and company will likely continue to be utilized in a rotation. Rakestraw's playing time has been up-and-down at points this year, but he has worked into a pretty stable role since the Lions went to a rotation in Week 7 against Green Bay.

Now in his third season, Rakestraw has already logged a career-high in defensive snaps played and has shown flashes of being the player Detroit hoped he'd be when they drafted him in the second-round of the 2024 draft.

With no new faces joining the cornerback room, Rakestraw will continue to get opportunities to prove himself in what is a pivotal third season.

LB Malcolm Rodriguez

With Jack Campbell's injury being a dominant headline over the last week, the Lions were believed to be in the mix to fortify their linebacker room. However, they elected to stand pat and this is a vote of confidence in the Oklahoma State product.

Rodriguez played a season-high in snaps on Sunday, which was the first game without Campbell, and will presumably continue to play a big role for Detroit's defense moving forward.

Furthermore, the addition of K.J. Britt off the Patriots' practice squad feels like more of an upgrade on special teams, so Britt's presence may not cut into Rodriguez's workload even as he acclimates more to the scheme.

TE Sam LaPorta

There were questions about whether or not the Lions may be willing to listen to trade offers for LaPorta amidst what appears to be a contract standoff. LaPorta has made his desire to get a hefty contract public, and because the Lions haven't done that deal it appeared as though they thought they would be willing to consider a potential blockbuster.

However, reports Monday indicated that the Lions in fact were not willing to listen to these offers and instead still have plans of getting a long-term extension done. This means a pay-day could be coming from the Lions for the talented tight end, even if it's not right away.

Losers

S Kerby Joseph

Joseph has already been ruled out for the Lions' Week 10 game against New England, which will push the decision of whether or not to activate him right up to the 21-day deadline of his return to practice window.

The safety, who led the NFL in interceptions in 2024 and was a First Team All-Pro selection that year, still hasn't played this season and his long-term future remains in doubt at this point.

He could certainly wind up playing a role for Detroit at some point this season, but the addition of Cisco generates questions about just how impactful he'll be.

DB Christian Izien

Izien has seen his role diminish on the defensive end, with Abney taking some of his safety reps as well as Branch getitng back into the mix. With Cisco now in the fold, it's hard to imagine Izien finding a role on the defensive side of the ball barring an injury.

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