ALLEN PARK — The offseason recovery for Detroit Lions defensive back Amik Robertson is going according to plan. But that doesn’t mean the “hurt” from last season’s finish isn’t lingering.
Robertson suffered a broken arm early in the Lions’ divisional round playoff matchup against the Washington Commanders, a game they would go on to lose 45-31. His absence left the Lions down another body on a defense already missing key players such as Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill and Carlton Davis III.
“It was just a crazy injury,” Robertson told MLive. “At the end of the day, it happens. It could have been worse. But of course, I still think about that game all the time. But you gotta move on, man. I think I won’t get over it until probably Week 1 (against Green Bay).”
Robertson was an active participant during the Lions’ final day of organized team activities, and the “blessed and highly favored” cornerback is anticipating the moment he can put on full pads for the first time since the injury.
“I should be cleared soon — very, very, very soon. So everything is in the right direction,” Robertson said.
Each offseason can mean something different for different players. For some, it’s about refining their game. For those coming off an injury, the focus is often on strength and conditioning to prevent reinjury.
In Robertson’s case, he’s targeting overall improvement heading into the final year of his deal in Detroit. He shared that last season was his first playing strictly at nickelback before being asked to shift outside and play corner at a high level. He believes sharpening his all-around game will make him an even bigger contributor to the Lions’ defense.
“I feel like I’m a jack-of-all-trades, man, so I just want to continue getting better. I always have room for improvement,” Robertson said. “I’m always an open book, like I always say. But most importantly, I want to get my hands on the ball more this year.”
As mentioned, Robertson — and his teammates — are still feeling the sting of last season’s playoff exit. He said the loss has fueled everyone’s hunger to improve this offseason and come together as a team, especially amid changes to the coaching staff and roster.
When asked if there’s any added motivation from the outside noise suggesting the Lions could take a step back this season, Robertson said they’re not paying it any attention.
“We just try to go out there, man, (and) play Lions football, man… We already have a fire lit up under us anyway. We haven’t won,” he shared. “We had the bad taste. Lions had the bad taste in their mouth the year before that. And then I came here, and I also had the bad taste. You know what I’m saying?
“Last season didn’t go as we planned, so it’s always fire — because we haven’t hit the goal that we want to achieve. And when you want something so bad, you’re going to do whatever it takes. And that’s just our goal: to do whatever it takes.”