The Detroit Lions are navigating a growing injury list as they prepare for a pivotal Christmas Day clash against the Minnesota Vikings, and Tuesday brought a new name to the report: David Montgomery. The veteran running back was held out of practice due to an illness, a late-week development that could impact the Lions’ backfield rotation if it lingers into game day.
Montgomery has been a key piece of Detroit’s ground game all season, complementing the explosive Jahmyr Gibbs with a physical, between-the-tackles presence. If he’s unable to go, the Lions could lean more heavily on Gibbs in both the run and pass game, something they’ve done with success at times this year-but it would still be a notable shift in their offensive balance.
There was some encouraging news, though. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St.
Brown and left tackle Taylor Decker returned to limited participation after missing Monday’s session. St.
Brown is dealing with a knee issue, and Decker is nursing a shoulder injury. Both are critical to Detroit’s offensive success-St.
Brown as Jared Goff’s most reliable target, and Decker as the anchor on Goff’s blind side. Their ability to ramp up activity ahead of the holiday matchup is a positive sign, but their status still bears watching when the team releases official designations on Wednesday.
On the defensive side, safety Avonte Maddox remained sidelined with a back issue and illness. Maddox’s availability could be significant against a Vikings offense that, even without Kirk Cousins, has shown flashes-especially with T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison in the mix.
The Lions also continue to manage a long list of players in the limited category. Offensive lineman Trystan Colon (wrist), defensive end Marcus Davenport (shoulder), center Graham Glasgow (knee), wide receiver Tom Kennedy (abdomen), offensive lineman Giovanni Manu (knee), guard Christian Mahogany (fibula), defensive lineman Alim McNeil (abdomen), defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad (knee), and defensive back Amik Robertson (knee) were all limited again on Tuesday.
That’s a hefty group, and while “limited” doesn’t always mean a player is in danger of missing time, it does suggest the Lions are managing wear and tear carefully as they push toward the postseason. Depth will be tested, and how Detroit handles these injury concerns could go a long way in determining how they close out the regular season-and how healthy they are if and when playoff football arrives.
We’ll know more when the final injury report drops on Wednesday, but for now, the Lions are juggling a delicate balance: staying aggressive in a tight NFC playoff race while trying to keep key contributors as close to full strength as possible.