Amik Robertson, the Detroit Lions’ new free agent cornerback signing, got high praise from his former head coach Antonio Pierce.
Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce admitted it wasn’t easy to see cornerback Amik Robertson leave in free agency this year.
“Sad to see him go, but extremely proud of him,” Pierce said on Monday at the owners meetings in Orlando.
The Detroit Lions signed Robertson to a two-year, $9.25 million this offseason. And with the recent release of Cameron Sutton, there’s a realistic chance he could be in play for a starting role this season.
So what are the Lions getting in Robertson?
“A ball hawk,” Pierce said. “A guy that’s very—you hate to say it—but he’s kinda got a little man’s complex. He plays bigger than what he is. You’re looking at a 5-(foot-)8, 5-9 guy, but extremely talented, gifted competitor.”
Robertson was originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. After starting in just two games over the first two seasons of his career, Robertson scrapped his way into more playing time over the past few seasons, starting seven games for the Raiders in 2022 and 12 last year. Over the course of those games, Robertson tallied four interceptions and 15 passes defended.
Beyond the stat sheet, Robertson gained a reputation for being a tough, physical outside cornerback despite his small stature (officially listed at 5-foot-8, 187 pounds). That built-in grittiness is part of what drew him to Detroit and Dan Campbell in the first place.
“The swagger and energy that coach Dan (Campbell), how he coaches, that’s what you’re looking for in a coach,” Robertson said during his introductory press conference last week. “He was a guy that kinda started off in the league being a player’s coach, in my opinion. That’s something that I saw in coach AP (Antonio Pierce) at the Raiders. He was the guy that kinda fit that description, and you want to play for a man like that, a person that his players are going through the wall for him.”
Robertson joins Carlton Davis, Emmanuel Moseley, and Khalil Dorsey as the team’s top four outside cornerbacks. While Davis is expected to be the team’s No. 1 cornerback, the other starting job is up for grabs. Like always under this coaching staff, that second spot will have to be earned by the players. But whether he earns the job in training camp or is the team’s primary reserve cornerback, Pierce knows that in Detroit, Robertson is going to give it his all.
“He did an extremely good job for us, always battled, was always the next man up, and when he got the opportunity this year, he made the most of it.”
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