The Cardiac Cats: 3 Players Who Must Make a Comeback in 2026
Can these roster bubble candidates entrench themselves in a roster spot?
Information sourced from: ESPN, Pro Football Reference, Pride of Detroit
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The Lions have done a pretty good job adding talent in free agency and the draft in recent years. Given this fact, there will always be players with a decent skill level at the bottom of the roster. Let’s dive into a few of the players who I think are on make or break seasons. Like the Lions of old, they must be “Cardiac Cats” and make a comeback of their own, or they will likely find themselves hunting for a new team.
Michael Niese - OG/C
You know, for some reason I have always found myself rooting for Niese (perhaps it is his positional versatility). While Niese has found a way to play a decent amount of special teams snaps, averaging in at 19.8 percent over his three years in the NFL (all the with the Lions), this is not enough. When you look at his offensive snap production, he has only clocked over 20 percent of offensive snaps in one game, despite making appearances in 26 games. You could argue that he has a good opportunity to be the backup center, however we have Juice Scruggs and Seth McLaughlin who will fight for that spot (one could argue Juice has a pretty good chance of landing it). Add in the infusion of newer and younger talent on the offensive line this offseason, and Niese must take a step or face being cut.
Ennis Rakestraw - CB
Rakestraw was an awesome pick to root for when he was picked in the 2nd round of the 2024 NFL draft. The Lions always seem to find themselves needing more defensive backs (see the Legion of Whom), and Rakestaw looked like yet another answer to this need. However, now two full seasons in, he has only managed to find the field for 8 total games and has notched only 6 total tackles. Don’t get me wrong, at only 23 years old he has a very good chance of finding some way to get on to the field. I know I will certainly be rooting for him, but with the likes of Keith Abney, DJ Reed, Rock Ya-Sin, Terrion Arnold, and Roger McCreary, he has an uphill battle ahead of him.
Levi Onwuzurike - DT
Levi is one of my favorite stories. He fought his way back from a serious spinal fusion surgery to play 10 games in 2023, and 16 games in 2024. When he is healthy, he certainly makes his presence known on the field. However, last year was a step back. He did not log a single snap in the 2025 season. His contract “tolling” and automatically being placed back on the roster were likely the best thing that could have happened to him. I’m not sure the Lions would have kept him with their youth/health movement they seem to be pursuing. However, he may be the guy I am rooting for the most on this list. I want to see him come back, appear in every game, and show that he can put his back behind him (ha).
I have always rooted for the underdog. I loved the likes of Tom Kennedy, Craig Reynolds, Dan Skipper, Antoine Green, Kevin Strong, Isaac Nauta, Bo Scarbrough and many more. I will continue to root for guys on the practice squad and bottom of the roster. Here’s to hoping at least one of these players can pull themselves out of the downward swing and make an impact on gameday in 2026.