Dan Campbell didn’t offer much when asked Monday about Christian Mahogany, but the Lions coach did leave the door open for the offensive lineman to work his way back.
“Yeah, listen, we’re good,” Campbell said when asked how Mahogany can repair his standing within the team. “I mean, I talked to him this morning, so the ball’s in his court, so all good.”
Mahogany was benched for Sunday’s win over the Miami Dolphins after what the team called an undisclosed violation of team rules. Miles Frazier stepped into the starting lineup at left guard, while Mahogany was limited to five snaps as a blocker on field goal and extra point attempts.
Campbell also said Mahogany is not a trade candidate ahead of Tuesday’s 4 p.m. NFL trade deadline, though he would not say who is currently holding down the starting left guard spot.
When asked directly whether Mahogany is back in the lineup or what he needs to do to get there, Campbell kept it brief: “No, I just - the ball is in his court. That’s all I said.”
The Lions could also be getting help back up front for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots in Munich, Germany. Starting center Cade Mays may return from an ankle injury, and both Mays and fill-in center Juice Scruggs have played guard before.
On the injury front, Campbell said it remains too early to know whether cornerback D.J. Reed and defensive end DJ Wonnum will be available against New England.
Reed sat out the Dolphins game with a hip injury, while Wonnum is still in concussion protocol after suffering a brain injury in the Lions’ Week 8 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
“Yeah, hard to say. It really is,” Campbell said.
“I mean, they've improved from last week. The question is can we get them there in time?
And I don't have that answer right now.”
Rock Ya-Sin started in Reed’s spot at outside cornerback opposite Roger McCreary against Miami, and rookie Derrick Moore made his first NFL start in place of Wonnum, finishing with two sacks.
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