Detroit Lions injury update – Page 38

Lions injury update: Don’t expect Taylor Decker or Frank Ragnow in Week 5

The Lions are expected to be without their top two offensive linemen in Week 5

It suer appears as if the Detroit Lions will face the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5 without their top two offensive linemen. Regular left tackle Taylor Decker and Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow are not expected to play on Sunday.

While it’s too early to officially rule out either player, coach Dan Campbell certainly cast a negative tone about the potential availability of the team’s top two linemen.

Decker remains on injured reserve with an injury to his left index finger. He has yet to play in 2021 after getting hurt in the days leading into Week 1. The team has been relatively quiet on his status, but Campbell offered this blunt assessment on Decker on Monday,

“I think it’s highly unlikely.”

Ragnow injured his toe during the Week 4 loss in Chicago. Campbell said this of Ragnow’s status,

“He’s got, basically, a version of turf toe right now is what he’s got. We’ll know a lot more this afternoon with him. I would say he’s probably going to be out, though.”

Rookie Penei Sewell continues to start in place of Decker at left tackle, with Matt Nelson taking over Sewell’s normal spot on the right side. Evan Brown finished the Bears game at center after Ragnow’s departure.

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Lions OLB Romeo Okwara tore his Achilles, out for the season

Okwara tore his Achilles early in the Week 4 loss to the Bears

The injury hits keep coming for the Detroit Lions, and the latest one is a huge blow to the defense. As was suspected on Sunday, starting outside linebacker Romeo Okwara did tear his Achilles tendon in the Week 4 loss to the Chicago Bears.

Okwara will miss the rest of the 2021 season and will be placed on the Lions’ injured reserve list.

He is the second starter on the Detroit defense to tear his Achilles in a game this year. Cornerback Jeff Okudah tore his Achilles in Week 1. Okwara finishes the season with one sack and six total tackles in four games.

Expect his younger brother, Julian, to take over Okwara’s role, as well as an increased amount of reps for Austin Bryant.

Dan Campbell: Romeo Okwara’s potential Achilles injury ‘doesn’t look good’

Okwara limped off the field with an apparent Achilles injury in the first half of Detroit’s Week 4 loss in Chicago

Adding injury to insulting loss, the Detroit Lions appear to have lost their top pass rusher in Sunday’s 24-14 humbling by the Chicago Bears. Outside linebacker Romeo Okwara left the game with an apparent Achilles injury and could be out for the rest of the season.

While the diagnosis is not yet confirmed, Lions head coach Dan Campbell did not sound optimistic about Okwara’s prognosis in his postgame press conference.

“(Okwara’s injury) doesn’t look good at all,” Campbell said somberly after the game.

Reports from around the airwaves indicate it’s an Achilles injury for Okwara. Further testing will happen to confirm the exact nature of the injury. If it is indeed a torn Achilles, Okwara will be the second defensive starter to suffer that injury in the first four weeks. The Lions lost top CB Jeff Okudah for the year in Week 1.

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Romeo Okwara and Frank Ragnow leave Lions Week 4 matchup with injuries

Both Ragnow and Okwara are officially questionable to return to the Week 4 game in Chicago

A bad start in Chicago by the Detroit Lions could be potentially much worse. Two critical starters along the team’s lines left the Week 4 matchup with the Bears with injuries.

Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow and top pass rusher Romeo Okwara each departed the game in the first quarter with injuries. Both Ragnow and Okwara are officially questionable to return per the Lions’ staff, but neither returned in the subsequent drives. Evan Brown took over at center for Ragnow.

Ragnow limped off with a toe injury. Okwara needed assistance from trainers to head to the locker room with an ankle injury.

Lions injury report: Still no Trey Flowers in Thursday’s session

Flowers was the only Lions player that missed the entire practice due to injury

The Detroit Lions produced an injury list for Thursday that didn’t require any editing from the day before. Once again, starting outside linebacker Trey Flowers sat out the practice session completely, while three other Lions remained as limited participants.

Flowers missed the Week 3 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens with injuries to both his shoulder and knee. Charles Harris got the start in Flowers’ spot, and Julian Okwara also saw his reps increase against the Ravens. That figures to remain the same for Sunday’s trip to Chicago to face the 1-2 Bears.

Michael Brockers and Romeo Okwara each remained limited in practice with listed shoulder injuries. Running back D’Andre Swift is still limited with his groin issue, which is a case of the Lions working with load management for the young runner.

The final injury report and game designation comes after Friday’s practice.

Lions injury update: Trey Flowers out, 3 starters limited in 1st practice for Week 4

Detroit Lions injury update: Trey Flowers out, 3 starters limited in 1st practice for Week 4

The Detroit Lions defense lacked some considerable veteran presences on Wednesday. Starting outside linebacker Trey Flowers did not practice with his ongoing injuries, and two other starters from the defensive front were limited in the first session heading into the meeting with Chicago in Week 4.

Flowers continues to miss time battling both knee and shoulder injuries. The veteran did not play in the Week 3 loss to the Ravens. He was primarily replaced by Charles Harris in the Lions lineup.

Defensive end Michael Brockers and outside LB Romeo Okwara were limited for Wednesday’s practice. Both starters are listed with shoulder injuries.

Only one player from the Detroit offense, starting RB D’Andre Swift, was limited. He continues to nurse a groin injury that lingers back to the early summer. He has not missed any time in the first three weeks.

Taylor Decker has a ‘very slim’ chance to return in Week 4 vs. Bears

“I would say as of right now, no. We don’t expect him back,” Dan Campbell on Taylor Decker in Week 4

Regular starting left tackle Taylor Decker is eligible to come off the Detroit Lions injured reserve list this week. But hopes of a quick return to the lineup by Decker were all but extinguished by Lions coach Dan Campbell.

The head coach fielded a question about Decker’s availability for the Week 4 matchup with the Chicago Bears during his press conference on Monday. His answer pretty much rules out Decker for the trip to Chicago.

“I would say as of right now, no. We don’t expect him back,” Campbell said. I can’t totally rule him out, but I would say it would be very slim for him to be back.”

Decker has been out since injuring a finger in the practices leading into Week 1. Rookie Penei Sewell moved from right tackle to the left side to fill in for Decker, while Matt Nelson took over as the right tackle. There has been considerable speculation about leaving Sewell at left tackle and forcing Decker to move to the right side when he returns, but Campbell deferred and downplayed that decision.

“No. We’ll wait for Decker to get back before we decide what to do with that.”

Lions rule out DE Kevin Strong for Week 3

Strong is out with both a thigh injury and a concussion

Defensive end Kevin Strong will not play for the Detroit Lions in Week 3. Initially listed as questionable for Sunday’s game at Ford Field against the Baltimore Ravens, Strong has now been ruled out by the Lions’ medical staff.

Strong also missed Week 2 after suffering a concussion in Week 1. He is also dealing with a thigh injury listed on the report, and that appears to be the reason for his downgraded status.

Rookie Levi Onwuzurike figures to get more reps in Strong’s absence. Veteran Michael Brockers is listed as questionable, so the Lions could be stressed here. As for depth, the Lions do have Bruce Hector on the practice squad available for promotion. Hector plays with a similar style to Strong and had an impressive preseason.

Lions final injury report for Week 3: 7 players listed as questionable

Trey Flowers and Michael Brockers are among the seven Lions designated as questionable with injuries for the Ravens game

The Detroit Lions will have a few new faces on the starting defense in Week 3 when they host the Baltimore Ravens.

We already knew rookie cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu would be out after the Lions placed him on I.R. earlier in the week. Now the team will also be without starting off-ball linebacker Jamie Collins. He is not injured but rather lost his starting job due to ineffective play.

The team is trying to trade the veteran LB, but he’s still healthy and on the roster for now. Jalen Reeves-Maybin and rookie Derrick Barnes will get the reps Collins has played in the last season-plus for Detroit.

Starting outside linebacker Trey Flowers is questionable for Sunday’s game. Flowers did not practice at all this week with both a shoulder and a knee injury. He is one of seven Lions listed as questionable for Week 3.

The rest of the questionable players on the team’s official injury report:

DE Michael Brockers – shoulder
OLB Julian Okwara – neck
OLB Romeo Okwara – shoulder
WR Kalif Raymond – thigh
RB D’Andre Swift – groin
DE Kevin Strong – thigh/concussion

The team placed WR Tyrell Williams on injured reserve this week with a concussion, so Raymond’s status is more concerning than it might appear.

Lions practice report: Jamie Collins out for non-injury reason

Lions practice report: LB Jamie Collins missed Wednesday’s walkthrough for non-injury reasons

The Detroit Lions released their first injury update for Week 3 following Wednesday’s practice session. One of the players who did not participate was out with a non-injury reason.

Starting linebacker Jamie Collins missed the session with the designation of “not injury related”. Collins played all but two snaps on Monday night in the loss to the Packers but did not play particularly well. The reason for Collins’ absence was not given beyond the official designation.

Wednesday’s session was just a walkthrough and was not open to the media. The Lions provided estimated injury statuses for several players.

Outside LB Trey Flowers and wide receiver Tyrell Williams were designated out. Flowers was listed with both an ankle and knee injury, while Williams continues to remain idle with the concussion he suffered in Week 1.

Five players were designated as limited participants:

DE Michael Brockers (shoulder)
OLD Romeo Okwara (shoulder)
WR Kalif Raymond (thigh)
DE Kevin Strong (concussion)
RB D’Andre Swift (groin)

Strong was ruled out of Week 2 with his brain injury, so having him designated as limited indicates some progress in getting the DE back on the field.