The Detroit Lions’ playoff hopes are over after they dropped three straight games. Even though two games are remaining on the schedule, the Lions have started looking ahead. Following the Christmas Day loss to the Minnesota Vikings, head coach Dan Campbell quickly made it known that they are thinking down the line.
“Brad and I will have a lot of decisions to make,” Campbell said (h/t @nolanbianchi). And based on how cornerback Amik Robertson has looked this season, he’ll be a player on thin ice in the coming months whom the Lions must make a decision on.
Amik Robertson Is on Thin Ice for the Lions
The New Year is a time for change, after all and it’s obvious that Robertson and the Lions could use a fresh start. Fortunately, there’s an easy path to that.
Robertson is set to hit free agency after signing a two-year, $9.5 million deal in 2024. After being serviceable in 2024, things took a turn for the worse. He’s suited up in 16 games, making 10 starts this season. In those outings, he has secured 51 total tackles, 12 pass deflections, and one interception. He’s been consistently targeted in pass coverage and failed to answer the call.
This season, he was targeted 97 times, allowing 66 catches for 821 receiving yards and six touchdowns. From Week 12 on, he was targeted 10-plus times in three games, highlighting how comfortable opposing teams felt to attack him in coverage.
On Pro Football Focus, Robertson has a 47.7 overall grade (106th among 112 graded cornerbacks) and a 47.1 coverage grade (104th). PFF grades aren’t perfect, but they do further illustrate how Robertson has been one of the worst players at the position. Considering that he did this in a contract year, it doesn’t bode well for his chances of sticking around.
To make matters worse, Robertson has a 110.5 passer rating allowed in coverage with 12.7 yards per reception allowed. Teams have been looking to pick on No. 21 in coverage and have found plenty of success. The secondary as a whole needs some work, as D.J. Reed didn’t have the season they expected after landing a big-time free agent contract.
At the same time, Terrion Arnold, Brian Branch, and Kerby Joseph have all landed on the injured reserve. Even when the unit was healthy, though, the secondary hasn’t been good in 2025, and Robertson played a role in that. The combination of shaky pass defense and missing the playoffs will force the Lions to make some changes, and not bringing back Robertson appears be an easy choice.
Robertson wasn’t good enough this season to earn another deal. Instead, the Lions would be wise to let him walk in free agency. His play in 2025 made it easy to close that door, giving general manager Brad Holmes the perfect excuse to move on.
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