Lions Injury Updates: Don’t Panic Yet, But Pay Attention
The Detroit Lions wrapped up their third day of OTAs on Friday, and with local media finally allowed back in the building, we got our first real look at where things stand with three key players. Kerby Joseph, Sam LaPorta, and Brian Branch are all dealing with injuries, and none of them are practicing right now.
Before you start having flashbacks to every other Lions offseason that went sideways, take a breath. Dan Campbell made it pretty clear this is not panic time.
The Reality Check We All Need
All three players are in the building, which is the first good sign. They’re attending meetings and staying mentally engaged with the team. But they’re not participating in drills or practice activities, and Campbell was refreshingly honest about why that makes perfect sense right now.
“That’s not the priority, and it’s not worth all that anyway,” Campbell said about pushing these guys to practice. “The most important thing is continue to let them improve, rehab, all that, that’ll take precedence, right now. So they’re in meetings, you know, they’re getting the mental side of this, and just take it day to day.”
LaPorta is at least participating in walk-throughs, which suggests he’s further along in his recovery process. But the overarching message from Campbell is simple: we’re not doing anything right now that’s worth risking these guys’ health.
Why This Actually Makes Sense
Look, I get it. After decades of watching this franchise handle injuries like they were playing medical roulette, any news about key players not practicing sends us all into fight-or-flight mode. But this is different.
Campbell has shown he knows how to manage players and timelines. They’re not rushing anyone back for glorified workouts. These OTAs are essentially organized stretching sessions with some light drilling thrown in.
If we get to training camp in July and these guys still aren’t ready to go, then we can start asking harder questions. But right now? This is just smart roster management from a coaching staff that has earned the benefit of the doubt.
Are you buying Campbell’s patient approach with these injuries, or are you already preparing for the worst? Let me know in the comments.
