A recent offseason clip involving a Detroit Lions star Ennis Rakestraw Jr., has gone viral, drawing reactions that fans didn’t hold back on.

Rakestraw shared his workout clip via Instagram story, wherein, he was doing ¼ heavy-weight squats, also known as quarter squats. 

Quarter squats are a strength training exercise which high performance athletes perform to gain explosive lower-body strength. The NFL players usually prefer quarter squats because the movement closely mimics game situations. 

For example, quick bursts off the line, tackling, and blocking, where power is generated from a partial bend in the legs. 

This helps improve acceleration, vertical power, and force production, which are critical for positions that rely on short, explosive movements.

Beyond the viral moment, it is also important to put the spotlight back on Rakestraw’s career. He was drafted by the Lions from the 2024 NFL Draft by Missouri. A 61st overall pick in the second round, he only played 8 games for the Lions. 

However, his development hasn’t been smooth. Injuries have been a major factor, with Rakestraw missing 26 games. He sustained a shoulder injury during training camp practice.

Later on, he underwent shoulder repair surgery and was put on the reserve list for the whole 2025 season.

Lions Star Faces Strong Fan Reactions After Viral Workout Clip Surfaces

The reaction to the viral clip was immediate, and it split fans right down the middle. 

And, some didn’t hold back at all!

One fan dismissed it outright, saying, “He is doing a 1/4 squat. That’s a trainer with him. This is dumb.” Another questioned the execution, “Idk why he got so much weight on and not going nowhere near parallel.”

But not everyone saw it the same way. A few pushed back on the criticism, pointing out the intent behind the movement. “He’s doing 1/4 drops, it’s not meant to go to depth. People are stupid,” one fan wrote, while another added, “These aren’t meant to be parallel squats, these half squats are great for jumpers.” The debate quickly shifted from the player to the exercise itself.

Others tried to bring context into it. “Olympic lifting isn’t best for football, full range of motion isn’t commonly used for a lot of positions like CB, FS, etc,” one fan explained, focusing on how position-specific training works in football. 

But even with that perspective, concern didn’t completely go away. “The lions need to take his gym membership away before he actually breaks something important,” one fan said, highlighting the risk side of things.

Some reactions landed somewhere in between. “I see no issue with his form… but I do think he’s doing too much weight because he isn’t get close to parallel,” another fan noted, balancing technique with caution.

Some see a standard training method, others see unnecessary risk, and on social media, both sides are always going to show up.

What do you think he was doing? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker

Edited by

Joyita Das