The Detroit Lions dominated the Miami Dolphins in Wednesday’s joint practice, justifying their stature as a Super Bowl contender — but the performance came at a price.
The Lions announced on Thursday that veteran cornerback Dicaprio Bootle suffered a season-ending injury during the practice, dealing a blow to the team’s improved secondary. The Lions made a quick addition to take Bootle’s spot on the 90-man roster, but his injury could hurt a team that has some young defensive backs who could have benefited from his veteran leadership.
Lions Suffer Big Blow at Practice
The Lions announced on Thursday that Bootle had been placed on injured reserve, effectively ending his season. Bootle had signed with the Lions just before the start of training camp, with reporter Jeff Risdon of USA Today’s Lions Wire suggesting that he had a good chance to land with the team despite his late start this summer.
“Bootle is a little bit more than a traditional ‘camp body’, but he’ll need to quickly prove himself on special teams if he wants to stay on the Lions roster when the returning players are activated from the PUP list,” Risdon wrote. “Showing off tackling ability and downfield speed in coverage will help Bootle potentially last through the preseason and onto Detroit’s practice squad.”
Bootle had already proven himself in the NFL, appearing in 21 total games with two starts since coming into the league in 2021. He started his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, winning a Super Bowl with the team.
Risdon wrote that despite his relative lack of size, Bootle appeared to be an NFL-caliber defensive back coming out of college, earning points for her versatility.
“At the time, I liked Bootle’s quick feet, football IQ and potential to grow into a multi-positional reserve, thanks to his experience starting at free safety, nickel and outside cornerback,” Risdon wrote. “Bootle also impressed with his ability to disrupt at the line when asked to press on the outside, despite lacking bulk and length.”
The Lions were hit hard by injuries last year, particularly on defense where they lost several key players to long-term and season-ending injuries. That included star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who suffered a fractured leg in October and did not return.
Lions Take Another Loss, Add Two New Players
The Lions also lost offensive lineman Keaton Sutherland to a season-ending injury at Wednesday’s practice, losing depth at a second position.
As Risdon reported, the Lions brought on two new players to help fill the void and go into Thursday’s joint practice with a full roster.
“To replace them, Detroit added offensive lineman Zack Johnson and cornerback Allan George,” Risdon wrote. “Johnson was an All-UFL performer fot Birmingham in 2024 and has NFL experience with the Packers. He played collegiately at anorth Dakota State, coached by new Lions TE coach Tyler Roehl. George was previously with the Commanders and Bengals.”
The Lions could have an opportunity to bring back either Bootle or Sutherland if they choose to give either an injury settlement. That would allow them to re-sign if they should recover during the season.
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