The Kansas City Chiefs' victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 6 hurt their opponent in more ways than one. The Lions took a step back in a tight NFC race in the early part of the season, but things got worse when safety Brian Branch delivered an open-hand slap to Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
While Chiefs fans may have laughed at the altercation, the Lions haven’t been laughing this week. With starting corners D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold out due to injury and safety Kerby Joseph managing a knee injury, the Lions have been left scrambling for help as Branch will miss Monday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being suspended for one game.
With that in mind, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Thursday morning that the Lions are signing former Chiefs defensive back Jammie Robinson to a one-year deal, and it shows just how broken the Chiefs left Detroit’s secondary after Sunday night.
Chiefs’ Castoff Jammie Robinson Lands in Detroit as Lions Scramble for Secondary Help
A fifth-round pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2023 NFL draft, Robinson spent his first two seasons with his original team before he was cut last December and claimed off waivers by the Arizona Cardinals. Robinson stuck around in Arizona through the preseason, but he was waived as part of the team’s final roster cuts and added to the Chiefs' practice squad a few days later.
Robinson’s preseason performance suggested there was a good reason he was available. While he was a solid tackler with no missed tackles on 11 attempts, Robinson allowed three catches for 39 yards on five targets in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. Those numbers are even worse in the regular season, where he’s allowed receptions on all six targets for 60 yards and was limited to just 75 regular-season snaps during his time in Carolina.
Adding a player of this caliber to the practice squad, like the Chiefs did, is understandable. But adding that player to the active roster shows how desperate the Lions are for secondary help.
This is no longer the Chiefs’ problem as they look to change this season’s narrative after a 3-3 start; however, it shows just how much damage they did after pulling out a win during last week’s showdown.