The Lions opened the week with a fairly clean injury picture, and the headline from Wednesday’s report is simple: only three players were listed as limited, while everyone else on the active roster either practiced in full or was already accounted for on reserve lists.
Detroit’s initial report comes with a wrinkle, though. The team practiced earlier than usual for a Week 1 schedule, then gave players Wednesday off, so the participation designations are estimates based on what the coaching staff believed each player could have handled in a full session.
On the limited side, EDGE Derrick Moore was joined by DL Mekhi Wingo and DB Christian Izien. Moore had been dealing with a hamstring issue near the end of camp, but the expectation was that he’d be back before the opener, and this report lines up with that timeline.
Wingo’s groin issue was not previously known, so his status is still something to watch when Dan Campbell speaks Friday. Izien, who was dealing with an undisclosed leg injury late in camp, also got in limited work, which is encouraging even if the Lions may still be cautious with him heading into the game against the Saints.
A group of players were listed as full participants, including LB Jimmy Rolder, LB Trevor Nowaske, CB Ennis Rakestraw, CB Keith Abney and S Thomas Harper. Rolder had been working back from a hamstring injury suffered just over two weeks into training camp, and while there had been some thought he could end up on injured reserve, he stayed on the active roster and was on the field in front of the media Tuesday.
Detroit has six linebackers on the roster, so there’s no need to rush him. Nowaske, who hurt his leg late in camp, was also back practicing, another sign he should be in line to play soon.
Harper, who injured his ankle during the final week of camp, was expected to be ready for the Saints, and Campbell sounded optimistic on Monday: “Harper’s going to be running around out there today, and then hopefully everything goes well today,” Campbell said on Monday. “We see him taking more reps tomorrow, and so we’re anticipating he’ll be ready to go.
So, we feel good about that room right now.”
There were also two players removed from the injury report entirely: TE Sam LaPorta and S Avonte Maddox. LaPorta had been dealing with a hip issue after taking an awkward hit, missing a little more than a week before returning to practice late in camp.
Being cleared this week is a strong sign he’ll be ready for Week 1. Maddox, who appeared to get hurt on the final play of training camp practices, also avoided the report, which suggests the injury wasn’t serious and that he should be available against New Orleans.
The Lions’ reserve lists still include RB Isiah Pacheco, C Cade Mays, OL Giovanni Manu, S Brian Branch and S Kerny Joseph. Pacheco, Mays and Manu are on injured reserve or NFI, while Branch and Joseph are on PUP.
All five must miss the first four weeks, though Branch and Joseph can begin practicing in Week 3 under the new NFL rule, while Pacheco, Mays and Manu can start practicing in Week 5 if healthy. Once any of them are activated, they’d enter a 21-day evaluation window before being added to the 53-man roster.
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