The Lions will have Tyleik Williams available for Week 5 against the Cardinals, a notable bit of good news after the defensive tackle finished last week in a walking boot.
Williams was not listed among Detroit’s inactives, even though he came into the game with a questionable tag. He missed practice Wednesday, then returned for limited work over the next two days, and the expectation was that he’d be in the starting lineup. For a Lions defense that leans on its interior, that’s a significant lift.
“He’s such a good athlete, and he’s powerful. He’s powerfully strong, and he really has a heightened sense of awareness for football.
His FBI [football intelligence] is way up there,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “And so, when you combine all those with a guy who’s going in his second year and has just taken off-he really took off by the end of the year, and he picked up where he left off, had a really good camp and four games in, he is continuing to climb.”
Detroit entered the day with 53 players on the active roster, then elevated safety Jalen Mills for the matchup, bringing the game-day total to 54. With 48 players eligible to suit up, the Lions had to list six inactive players.
The group includes G Ben Bartch, who was ruled out Friday with a foot injury, and CB Rock Ya-Sin, who was also ruled out Friday because of a hamstring issue.
The other inactives are TE Jackson Meeks, EDGE Ahmed Hassanein, DL Mekhi Wingo, and S Bishop Fitzgerald.
In Other News...
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Cynthia Miller had long been part of the backdrop to Detroit Lions Sundays, a familiar presence for anyone who knew Dan Millers family and how deeply football ran through it. She was more than the announcers wife - she was a devoted Lions fan who made the team part of her own routine, showing up for home games and sharing in the seasons highs and lows with the same steady enthusiasm.
A memorial gathering and funeral service are scheduled for October 16 in Northville, and the loss has added a personal layer of sadness for a fan base that already feels close to the Miller family through Dans voice. For those who followed the Lions with her in the stands, her absence will be felt in a very real way, even as the family prepares to gather and remember her life. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Have A Linebacker Decision Fans Will Notice
Devin White is back in the mix for the Lions at a time when the linebacker group could use a boost. Detroit activated White for Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals after he had been inactive since Week 3, giving the defense another body in a unit that has had its share of problems handling both the pass and the run.
Whites return also puts the Lions in an interesting spot as they head toward their bye week. He has struggled in limited snaps this season, but a game like this gives Detroit a chance to see whether he can help steady the middle of the defense, or at least create more clarity about where he stands moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Week 5 Inactives Bring One Huge Defensive Twist
The Lions Week 5 injury report brought a little bit of clarity and a little bit of churn as they lined up for Arizona, with several familiar names affected by the final inactive list. Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin and offensive lineman Ben Bartch were among the players ruled out, while safety Jalen Mills was elevated to the active roster and Tyler Conklin returned after missing two weeks.
What stands out most for Detroit, though, is the defensive wrinkle up front. Tyleik Williams is active and expected to start against the Cardinals, giving the Lions a fresh look in the middle of their defensive line at a time when every rotation decision matters. It is the kind of move that can quietly reshape the tone of a game before the first snap, even if the biggest answers will have to wait until the matchup unfolds. [Read more 🡒]