Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday morning that Jack Campbell is still “improving” after the linebacker was left motionless on the turf at Ford Field during the game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Campbell was hurt while trying to make a tackle on Vikings star TJ Hockenson. He was taken off on a backboard and transported to the hospital, with his wife and baby son at his side. He stayed overnight.
Speaking on Costa and Jansen with Heather on Detroit’s 97/1 The Ticket, Dan Campbell said the team is still thinking about him, but also trying to keep moving forward.
“It’s not easy because he’s gonna always be on our minds over here.
“The good news is he is improving, but we also - we got a job to do, and this is what we’re tasked with, and there’s a reason why we go through all this stuff.
“It’s to get to where we wanna go collectively as a team, and adversity comes in all shapes and sizes and we gotta overcome everything that comes our way.”
He also said the message around the locker room has been one of reassurance, while making clear the team still has to focus on football.
“I think the thought of him - knowing he’s doing better - I’ve kept the captains up to date and they’ve let the other guys know it’s good news.
“So, I think that helps everybody just get a better handle on all this. Once you know that, then you gotta move on for yourself, too, in that moment because if you let things wander and you drift and you worry a little and then you’re trying to play or prepare, that’s where bad things can happen to you because you’re not all in on what you need to be doing.
“So, that’s why it’s important that you get back to your own business. All we can do at this point is just continue to pray for Jack, put our thoughts on him when we have a minute, and his family, and it’s working, like I said, because he is improving.”
The Lions had already issued a statement Monday afternoon saying Campbell was resting and recovering at a local hospital. They added: “Jack Campbell continues to rest and recover at a local hospital.
“Preliminary indications are positive and out of respect for Jack and his family we will not share further information at this time.”
The scene on the field was tense from the moment Campbell went down. Players from both teams took a knee as medical staff worked on him, and Lions linebacker Aidan Hutchinson was visibly shaken as Detroit tried to finish the game without him. Hutchinson, the captain of the defense, had to rally his teammates before play resumed, and he delivered a speech while fighting back tears.
Footage later shared by the Lions showed Dan Campbell addressing the locker room and leading a prayer for the injured linebacker. Before the team took a knee, he said: “I’m gonna lower this mood a little bit.
“I do not have any more information on Jack. We don’t know anything else at this point.
So here’s what I wanna do. We’re gonna take a knee.
Now I wanna pray for Jack, and let’s keep in our thoughts and prayers”.
The prayer itself was not included in the video. When the footage resumed, quarterback Jared Goff addressed the team and tried to steady the room.
“Hey, I love you boys. Stick together.
I know that [it’s] tough with Jack. Stick together, lean on each other.
Alright?”, Goff said.
Campbell, the former Iowa star, was selected by Detroit with the No. 18 overall pick in 2023. Last season, he earned All-Pro honors after becoming the first NFL player in seven years to record 150-plus tackles, at least five sacks and three forced fumbles.
Detroit signed him to a four-year, $81 million contract extension last May, a deal that runs through the 2030 season.
The injury also comes during a major personal year for Campbell and his family. He and his wife Megan welcomed their first child, a boy named Cooper, in February.
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