Taylor Decker is back from injury and ready to start for the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Decker missed last week’s win over the Houston Texans due to a shoulder injury. And Detroit’s offense missed their veteran voice, toiling through the first half. Decker’s return is positive, but the Lions have bad news ahead of Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Star tight-end Sam LaPorta is out with an AC joint injury. LaPorta sprained his AC joint during last Sunday’s game against Houston. After leaving the game, LaPorta never returned and has not trained this week.
The positive news is that head coach Dan Campbell has confirmed that it is not a long-term issue for LaPorta.
Decker is not the only player to return from injury. Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez is off the injury report. The energetic linebacker sustained an ankle injury in the Lions’ win against the Tennessee Titans.
Veteran cornerback Carlton Davis was also left off the injury report after breaking his left thumb at Thursday’s practice session. Davis trained on Friday with a cast over his thumb, and the Lions expect Davis to play through the injury on Sunday.
In keeping with the theme of veteran defensive players, Za’Darius Smith will debut on Sunday. Smith missed the win at Houston because the Lions chose to honor his bye week, but He is excited for his maiden start as a Lion.
Dan Campbell hinted that Smith may be on a pitch count on Sunday. Nonetheless, Campbell is excited about his new player:
“Yeah, we’ll work him in; we’ll make sure that we use him appropriately. Look, he’s going to play on all downs, but we’re going to maximize what he’s got in the tank to help us. I guess, if you – pitch count, yes, somewhere in there, we’ll get him some.”
In news regarding players returning from injured reserve, Ifeatu Melifonwu missed Friday’s session. It is unclear as to why.
The Jacksonville Jaguars come into this game with significant injury news. Trevor Lawrence’s absence was already known, but running back Tank Bigsby is out. Experienced lineman Ezra Cleveland is designated as questionable.
Lions Injury Report
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— Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 15, 2024