Derrick Barnes has quietly put together one of the strongest starts on the Detroit Lions defense, and he now has a piece of franchise history to show for it.

The Lions announced Sunday that Barnes became Detroit’s first off-ball linebacker since DeAndre Levy in 2014 to record a tackle for loss in each of the first three games of a season.

That is an 12-year gap between Lions linebackers accomplishing the feat.

Barnes entered Week 3 already making plays all over the field. He recorded a sack and an interception in Detroit’s season-opening victory over the New Orleans Saints, then added another sack against the Buffalo Bills. The Lions’ official statistics credited Barnes with 13 tackles, two sacks, two passes defended and an interception through the first two games.

His latest tackle for loss extended the streak to three games.

Barnes Continues Emerging for Lions Defense

The production is another sign of Barnes’ development into one of Detroit’s most versatile defenders.

Barnes established a career high with four sacks in 2025, becoming one of the Lions’ first off-ball linebackers since Jarrad Davis in 2018 to reach that mark. His ability to rush, cover and play downhill has continued carrying over into 2026.

That matters for a Detroit defense that Barnes challenged to execute better following the loss to Buffalo. It also follows a training camp in which Kelvin Sheppard said the arrival of Devin White helped raise the level of competition inside the linebacker room.

Now Barnes has put his name alongside Levy in the Lions record book.

Not a bad way to spend September.