MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Detroit Lions entered the 2026 season with some uncertainty at the safety position given Kerby Joseph’s knee injury and Brian Branch rehabbing a torn Achilles suffered last December.
Looking for some stability at the position, Detroit brought in veteran Chuck Clark, 31, on a one-year deal. That's turned out to be a very good signing by Lions general manager Brad Holmes.
Clark has started all seven games for Detroit this season and notched his second interception of the year Sunday in the Lions' 19-9 win in Miami to go along with five tackles. He now has 49 tackles, three passes defended, two interceptions, a sack and a critical forced fumble Week 5 vs. the Jets.
His interception Sunday and subsequent 34-yard return helped set up a Jake Bates field goal and a 9-3 lead.
"Honestly, in the moment it feels like it slows down when the ball is in the air," Clark said afterward of his interception. "It's like, 'Hey, you got to go get it.' I wanted to score and show you guys my return skills. I used to run the ball in high school.
"I know the work that I put in personally. I respect this game. I respect the players in it. You have to bust your (butt) in the offseason to be prepared and be ready. As you get older, you have to stay on top of your body and stay in shape because there's young guys coming in to take your spot every day."
Branch has been back a few weeks now and Joseph seems to be trending in the right direction, but Clark has been holding down the fort in their absence and has been a great mentor for a lot of the young players the Lions have mixed into their secondary rotation. Now Detroit looks to have great depth at safety with Branch, Clark, Joseph and rookie Keith Abney II.
"(Clark's) unreal man," edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson said. "He's such a steady presence back there and really providing a ton of leadership for a lot of those dudes. He's a quieter dude, but when he speaks, people listen, and that's what I respect the most about (him)."
MCNEILL BALLING OUT
Veteran defensive lineman Alim McNeill is playing the best football of his career to start his sixth season.
McNeill totaled three tackles, one sack, one quarterback hit and one tackle for loss against the Dolphins Sunday. He now has 5.5 sacks on the season, establishing a new single-season career high.
Those are the most sacks a Lions interior defensive lineman has had since Ndamukong Suh had 8.5 in 2014. McNeill has produced at least a half sack in five of the last six games.
"(McNeill) is winning right now. I'm just proud. I'm proud of all those guys because they get after the run game and then they earn the right to get after the quarterback," Campbell said. "That's how they treat it and that's what they're doing right now.
"So, (McNeill) is huge. He's playing some of the best football. He's playing the best football I've ever seen him play. He's locked in. He's wired right. He's one of our veteran guys. It's hard to believe we had all these pups and they're full grown. They're full grown and they're our dudes and they're playing at a high level right now."
Between McNeill and Hutchinson, Detroit has a dynamic one-two punch in the middle and on the edge of their defensive front.
FRAZIER STARTS AT GUARD
Starting left guard Christian Mahogany was not on Detroit's injury report this week, so when second-year offensive lineman Miles Frazier started the game at LG and played the entire contest, it drew some questions.
"Well, that was team rules," Campbell said after the game. "It was really that simple. (Frazier) deserved his opportunity, and he got it. And it doesn't mean it stays that way, but that was the way it was going to be today."
