It’s been a very rough season for the Detroit Lions. Winless through five weeks, the team has suffered through a nasty wave of injuries to key players. And the list keeps growing.
Last week’s sobering look at how many players are unavailable to the team due to either injury or dead cap has expanded, unfortunately. Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow will miss the rest of the season with a toe injury that required surgery. He was out for Week 5 as well but now officially joins the throng of Lions on the IR list.
Here’s the updated cadre of Lions either on the IR or non-football injury reserved lists as of October 13th:
- Taylor Decker, starting left tackle
- Frank Ragnow, starting center
- Tyrell Williams, starting wide receiver
- Quintez Cephus, starting wide receiver (in place of Williams)
- Tyrell Crosby, offensive tackle (would start in place of Decker)
- Tim Boyle, backup quarterback
- Romeo Okwara, starting outside linebacker
- Jeff Okudah, starting cornerback
- Ifeatu Melifonwu, starting CB (in place of Okudah)
- Da’Shawn Hand, defensive end
- Kevin Strong, defensive end
- Joel Heath, defensive end
- Shaun Dion Hamilton, linebacker
- Charlie Taumopeau, tight end (NFI)
- Hunter Bryant, tight end (NFI)
That’s eight different players who would be starting right now, six of them regular projected starters. The list includes the team’s two best offensive linemen, the top wideout, the No. 1 and No. 2 cornerbacks and the WR leader in receiving yards after five games.