Lions injury breakdown: Emmanuel Moseley torn pec outlook, possible return from I.R.

With the news that Emmanuel Moseley has taken one of the two “designated-to-return” IR slots at the 53-man cutdown, here is an analysis of what to expect from the 28-year-old cornerback after his 3rd major injury in three years. By being placed on the “designated-to-return” list, he must sit out at least the first four games of the season.

Medical history

August 5, 2024: Torn pectoral

October 8, 2023: Torn right ACL

October 9, 2022: Torn left ACL

Making an educated guess at a return date is complicated by the wide variety of pec tear types, as well as the possibility of a partial tear that may not require surgery. A full tear with surgery is typically about a 4-month recovery.

For comparison, C.J. Gardner-Johnson was able to return in 16 weeks last year.

If Moseley follows the same timeline, he would be back for Thanksgiving, which would give him 6 games in the regular season plus the playoffs.

There’s a chance he could be back earlier than 16 weeks, as evidenced by these cases:

-J.J. Watt in 2019 had surgery and returned in 9 weeks, but he may have come back earlier than recommended because it was the playoffs.

-T.J. Watt in 2022 did not have surgery and returned in 8 weeks.

-Marcus Williams in 2023 did not have surgery and returned in 4 weeks.

Outlook

Keep an eye out for reports of whether Moseley had surgery or not. If he had surgery, then we should hope to hear him start practicing in early November, with a return starting around Thanksgiving. If he did not have surgery, then a much sooner return is likely.

Once Moseley returns, I would not expect the pec injury to affect his play because of his position at defensive back. It is not an upper-body, strength-dominant position like with a lineman. With how common it is for cornerbacks to be sidelined with injury, as well as the need for multiple cornerbacks to be active for a game, Moseley has a very good chance to be an impactful player for the Lions later this season.