The hits keep coming for Ennis Rakestraw.
The Lions' second-year cornerback and former second-round pick is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery for an injury he suffered in practice earlier this week. Rakestraw was placed on injured reserve on Thursday.
It's a heavy blow for a player who missed the second half of his rookie season with a hamstring injury and will now enter year three of his career with just eight NFL games under his belt. He was slated to be Detroit's top reserve at corner this season.
In a video posted on TikTok where his left shoulder is in a sling, Rakestraw wrote, "I’ll be back soon. Been a rough two years. But I’ll never question God. Just want to play the game I love dearly, and show my people who I am and the kids who grew up like me (that) it’s possible.
"So I’ll win in the end. Just been a blurry road I’ve been on. I know it’s a clear road ahead, just have to keep pushing."
Rakestraw arrived in Detroit recovering from core muscle surgery for an injury he suffered at Missouri, then suffered an ankle injury that limited him in his first training camp. And just when he was slated to start at nickel in Week 2 against the Buccaneers, Rakestraw was rendered inactive after injuring his hamstring in warmups.
He played sparingly over the next couple months before the Lions shut him down for the season.