The Detroit Lions (5-2) are back on the road in Week 9, traveling to Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins (1-6). The Lions held a walkthrough Wednesday instead of a full practice, so all participation levels are estimates from the coaching staff based on how the player participates in a traditional practice.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at Wednesday’s injury report and bring you up to date on what we know.
Note: Any changes from the most recent damage report will be in bold.
- RB Isiah Pacheco (MCL/Back, IR) — expected to be out until December
- OL Giovanni Manu (undisclosed, NFI) — eligible to begin practice at any time
- OL Ben Bartch (foot, IR) — eligible to begin practice in Week 10
- LB Devin White (forearm, IR) — eligible to begin practice in Week 10
- LB Jimmy Rolder (hamstring, IR) — Season-ending injury
- S Kerby Joseph (knee, PUP) — The injury evaluation clock has started
- S Thomas Harper (ankle, IR) — Eligible to begin practice at any time
Rolder injured his hamstring on Sunday, and with an injury that may require surgery, he’s been shut down for the rest of the season. While this ends his rookie season, the good news is that he should be back in 2027.
I wanted to take a moment to talk about Jack Campbell, as most Lions fans are anxiously awaiting updates on his status and wondering about his future, both on and off the field. First, in case you missed it, Jack Campbell released a statement earlier on Wednesday; here is an excerpt (emphasis is the author’s):
“I am very encouraged by the progress I have made in such a short period of time. I have full range of motion in my lower body, and I continue to improve on range of motion in my upper body. I know there is still work to do, but I remain very optimistic. I take things one step at a time, stay positive, and focus on getting better.
Jack is still on the 53-man roster and hasn’t been moved to injured reserve, but it’s not fair to speculate why the move has or hasn’t been made yet. The team usually takes their time in these situations, so it’s important to be patient for now and not make assumptions either way.
- C Cade Mays (ankle) — Injured in Week 8 — Juice Scruggs getting ready to start
- EDGE DJ Wonnum (concussion) — Injured in Week 8
- LB Jack Campbell (neck) — Injured Week 8
- CB DJ Reed (hip) — Injured Week 8
Mays is reported to have a “low” ankle injury, which typically sidelines players from one to six weeks (high ankle injuries typically last four to 12 weeks), and while we don’t know how long it will sideline the Lions’ starting center, Dan Campbell noted that his absence from Wednesday’s practice was planned and Thursday’s practice could also be in jeopardy. Right now, the team is preparing to turn to Juice Scruggs against the Dolphins.
Wonnum is in the NFL’s concussion protocol and must pass a series of steps before he can move forward. Every player deals with head injuries differently, so we’ll have to wait and see how he handles the increasing stressors deployed in the protocol.
Reed was forced out of the Vikings game late, and while he didn’t return, he was available in the locker room after the game, which is usually a good sign for his injury. The Lions will likely be slow on their top corner this week.
Approximate limited training
- RB Jacob Saylors (neck) — Injured in Week 8
- WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (ribs) — Injured in Week 8
- LB Amen Ogbongbemiga (toe) — Injured Week 8
- S Kerby Joseph (knee, PUP) — Days left on injury review clock: 13
- S Brian Branch (concussion) — Injured in Week 8
Saylors was limited early in Week 8 practices with a neck injury, and while he didn’t carry an injury designation into the game against the Vikings, he did come out with a reported neck injury. It’s unclear if this is a new injury or a tweak of an existing one, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get an early week off to give more time to recover.
Last week, St. Brown with an ankle injury, and now he’s dealing with a rib injury. He briefly left Sunday’s game against the Vikings but didn’t miss much time before returning.
Ogbongbemiga is dealing with a toe injury, which could leave Detroit’s linebacker room a little short this week, but since he’s only listed as limited, there’s plenty of time for him to recover. He could play a bigger special teams role this week, with Malcolm Rodriguez and Trevor Nowaske expected to play bigger defensive roles.
On Tuesday, coach Dan Campbell discussed the timeline for Kerby Joseph, noting that he will not play in Miami this weekend, as he is still slowly acclimating back to football activities.
“We’re going to try to get him some scout team reps. He’s not going to play in this game,” Campbell said. “I knew (the question) was coming. He’s not playing against Miami. He’s just going to get some reps in practice.”
Branch, like Wonnum, must go through the NFL’s structured concussion protocol, but a limited practice estimate is a positive sign he could play this week.
No longer on the damage report
- RB Jahmyr Gibbs (shoulder)
- DT Tyleik Williams (illness)
- CB Ennis Rakestraw (ankle)
- CB Roger McCreary (foot)
Players listed in this section no longer require a spot on the injury report.
dolphinpreliminary injury report
- RB Kaytron Allen (quad)
- Will Kaçmarek (hamstring)
- DT Zach Sieler (shoulder)
- EDGE Chop Robinson (knee)
- EDGE Malik Herring (neck)
- S Michael Taaffe (wrist)
- S Dante Trader (shoulder)
- LS Tucker Addington (shoulder)
- QB Malik Willis (groin)
- LG Kayden Proctor (concussion) — Missed Week 8
- CB Reese Taylor (quad)