Report: Detroit Lions CB Jerry Jacobs headed to injured reserve

Detroit Lions cornerback Jerry Jacobs’ season is over. The young defender is headed to injured reserve after suffering a lower-body injury.

According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, cornerback Jerry Jacobs has been informed by the Detroit Lions that he will be placed on injured reserve.

Jacobs popped up on the injury report Wednesday with a thigh/knee injury and was downgraded to a “did not practice” on Thursday.

Once placed on injured reserve, a player must sit out the next four games. And with only four possible games left for the Lions in the postseason, that means Jacobs’ 2023 season is over.

Jacobs had a tumultuous season with the Lions this year. He fought and scrapped his way to a starting job in training camp, but struggled out of the gate. Then, a two-interception performance against the Packers followed by another interception against the Panthers seemed to right the ship again.

Unfortunately, that wouldn’t last long, as Jacobs’ struggles in coverage returned, and the Lions eventually benched him for a split between Kindle Vildor and Khalil Dorsey. Jacobs has been a special teams contributor since.

Jacobs is not under contract for the 2024 season, but with three accrued years in the NFL, he will be a restricted free agent. It’s unclear if the Lions will be interested in bringing Jacobs back, but on Twitter Thursday afternoon, Jacobs offered a bit of an ominous—albeit cryptic—message that has since been deleted. The message simply said “Thank you, Detroit”

With Jacobs out for the rest of the playoffs, the Lions will need to figure out their depth at outside cornerback. While Cameron Sutton and Vildor are expected to remain the starters, Detroit doesn’t have a ton of depth in Dorsey, Will Harris, and undrafted rookie Steven Gilmore, who has only been active for three games this season. Detroit also has Chase Lucas and Craig James on the practice squad.

The Lions have not made this move official yet, but when they do, they’ll have an open spot on their 53-man roster. They could use that open spot to add a free agent—of which they are only allowed four for the entirety of the playoffs—or potentially elevate a player from practice squad or injured reserve.