In Sunday’s 42-24 blowout of the Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions cornerback, Emmanuel Moseley was injured in his second snap of the game. It was his season debut after tearing his ACL last season in week 5. This morning, Adam Schefter reported exactly what we all feared, Moseley tore his ACL again and will miss the season.
Why it matters:
Moseley was part of the rebuilding of the secondary that went on this offseason and was a really good signing. His coverage skills and ball-hawking ability would have been an instant upgrade to one of the worst secondaries in the league last season. He missed the first four weeks while still rehabbing the knee and was expecting to make his debut, easing into action, on Sunday. That debut lasted all of two plays before he was carted off the field and today deemed unable to play the remainder of the season.
Emmanuel Moseley by the numbers:
Moseley was signed as a free agent by the San Francisco 49ers after the 2018 NFL Draft. He had a role in his second year and then eventually became a nice option for the Niners secondary, seeing action in nearly every game from 2019-2021 and then into 2022 before he tore his ACL. Prior to that injury, he was playing well and grading out well by PFF with a 73.5 Coverage grade. For his career, he has four INTs, 23 PBUs, and 133 tackles. He was signed to a one-year deal in the offseason as he continued to rehab his knee in order to play in 2023.
The bottom line:
Even without Moseley, the secondary was an improved unit. However, two of the three new additions in the offseason have endured season-ending injuries. The unit itself ranks 14th according to PFF in pass coverage and they’ll need to continue stepping up in the absence of Moseley and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
