Things don't always work out in the NFL. Sometimes there are injuries, and other times, players just have bad seasons. Those things give way to the comebacks, though, and there is nothing sweeter in sports than watching a player make a big comeback.
Here are three Lions that we believe are poised to have their comebacks go down in 2025. We're not including Aidan Hutchinson because that one is just too easy.
Marcus Davenport
It's easy to laugh at this one, and I'm sure some Lions fans are doing so. The thing about Davenport that everyone knows is that he has a real injury problem. He's dealt with an injury every season of his career, and the most games he's ever played are 15.
Still, nobody can dispute that when he's healthy, he can ball. The Lions seem very confident in his ability to stay healthy this year and feel as though he's gotten into great shape.
“He’s had some setbacks in his career, but I watched that player take no days off this offseason,” Lions' DC Kelvin Sheppard said. “He’s been here just as long as the coaches have, and putting in the work, and his body looks different right now. I firmly believe in speaking with him, his mindset is different right now.”
If Davenport can stay healthy, we already know he can play well. This could be a big year for him.
Ennis Rakestraw
It was weird when so many Lions fans just kind of gave up on this guy/ He had an injury, that was that. It wasn't like he wasn't grasping the game or struggling with the playbook or wasn't good or something like that. I mean, there was a time during training camp when we were calling him "Ennis Pickstraw" because interceptions became a daily occurrence for him.
Now he's coming back healthy, and while being a starter is not something that's happening for him in 2025, being a crucial part of the Lions' secondary depth is. This could be a breakout year for him.
Taylor Decker
A comeback for Decker might seem like a weird thing to say because this guy started 14 games for the Lions last year, but 2025 wasn't his best season. Decker allowed 32 pressures and eight sacks last year.
He was a bit banged up in 2025 and missed some time with a knee injury. The guy has been working all summer long in Arizona with Giovanni Manu, and stuff like that can go a long way. So can just feeling better.
