Lions DE Payton Turner Lands On IR

The 27-year-old Turner took the field for the Lions’ first training camp practice, but he suffered a back injury and never returned. He is now on track for a second straight lost season.

While with the Cowboys in 2025, the Houston product sat out the entire year as a result of a rib injury. Turner’s contract with the Cowboys included $2MM in guaranteed money, but he was not in position to do as well in free agency this year. His deal with Detroit is worth the veteran minimum and contains no guaranteed money.

Unless the Lions release Turner with an injury settlement and he catches on elsewhere, he will not play in 2026. If that’s the case, it would increased his missed games total to 71 over a six-year span. Multiple injuries, including to his shoulder and toe, limited Turner to 15 of a possible 51 games in his first three seasons in New Orleans. The 6-foot-6, 272-pounder played a career-high 16 in 2024, but that looks more and more like an anomaly. When healthy, Turner has registered 50 tackles, 11 TFL, 11 quarterback hits and five sacks in 31 games.

Along the edge, the Lions have seen second-round rookie Derrick Moore and 2025 sixth-rounder Ahmed Hassanein step up in Turner’s absence this summer. Those two will attempt to carve out roles in a group that also includes star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, Tyler Lacy and free agent addition D.J. Wonnum. 

To fill Turner’s roster spot, the Lions announced the signing of defensive back Eric Scott Jr. He has yet to see regular-season action since the Cowboys took him in the sixth round of the 2023 draft.