The Detroit Lions continue to aggressively reinforce their battered secondary, and Monday brought the most intriguing development yet: former Los Angeles Rams safety John Johnson III, a player long tied to general manager Brad Holmes, officially visited the team’s Allen Park facility. For Lions fans who have spent nearly half a decade asking whether Detroit would ever bring Johnson to Motown, the moment felt both familiar and unexpectedly timely.

The visit came on the same day Detroit signed former NFL interception leader Damontae Kazee to the practice squad, adding immediate veteran depth after the season-ending Achilles injury to Brian Branch. With rookie Terrion Arnold already out and Kerby Joseph missing seven straight games, the Lions’ secondary has reached a pressure point that leaves little margin for error as they attempt to solidify their postseason position.

Johnson, now 30, hasn’t played since suffering a shoulder injury in Week 2 of the 2024 season. He was the Rams’ starting safety at the time, but the injury wiped out the rest of his year, and Los Angeles chose not to bring him back for 2025. Before the injury, however, Johnson had built a strong reputation as one of the league’s most instinctive and reliable back-end defenders, beginning with his breakout in 2017 — a draft in which Brad Holmes, then with the Rams, personally pounded the table for him.

That connection is where Monday’s visit becomes especially interesting.

Back in 2021, early in Holmes’ Detroit tenure, former Rams GM Les Snead publicly explained how strongly Holmes believed in Johnson coming out of Boston College. Snead recalled late-round draft discussions, when positional needs suggested going in a different direction. Holmes insisted otherwise.

“Brad was a huge John Johnson fan,” Snead told the Detroit Free Press. “We were at that spot where you can either reach for a need or take the player you’re most convicted about. And Brad said, ‘You take John Johnson, you don’t look back. He’s going to help us.’”

Johnson proved Holmes right. He became a key part of the Rams’ Super Bowl-contending unit, starting 48 games in his first four seasons while emerging as one of the league’s most versatile and dependable safeties. When he hit free agency in 2021, many Lions fans clamored for Holmes to bring him to Detroit — but Johnson instead signed a lucrative deal with the Cleveland Browns.

The same fan push returned when Johnson became a free agent again in 2023. Yet again, the timing wasn’t right. Johnson rejoined the Rams and resumed his starting role before injuries derailed his season.

Now, two years later, the circumstances around the Lions make his visit far more logical. Detroit’s secondary depth has evaporated, and the team is scrambling to stabilize a unit hit by injuries much like last season. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has relied heavily on Branch’s versatility and leadership — traits Johnson brings in abundance when healthy.

Still, Detroit’s interest raises important questions.

Johnson hasn’t played in over a year, and recovering from a shoulder injury at his position is no small obstacle. There is also the matter of fit: the Lions ask their safeties to be interchangeable, savvy communicators who can handle both deep responsibilities and run-fit duties. Johnson excelled in precisely those roles with the Rams, making him a potential schematic match if his health checks out.

For now, the Lions are simply gathering information. A visit does not guarantee a signing, and Detroit has often used December workouts to evaluate veterans both for immediate needs and for potential future depth charts.

What the visit does indicate, however, is that Holmes is exploring every option as the Lions push toward January football. With the offense hitting its stride and the team stabilizing around Dan Campbell’s identity, the secondary remains Detroit’s biggest uncertainty. Whether the solution is Kazee, a returning Joseph, or Johnson himself, Detroit clearly recognizes the urgency.

For Lions fans, the possibility of Johnson finally joining the team carries a sense of closure — a “third time’s a charm” scenario years in the making. And as the playoff race tightens, any addition who brings leadership, intelligence, and experience could prove pivotal.

Detroit hasn’t made a decision yet. But the fact that Johnson walked through the doors in Allen Park suggests that the conversation Holmes started back in 2017 may not be finished.