Now, for the analysis of four notable injuries around the NFL that occurred this past week - including to key players who are on the Detroit Lions upcoming schedule. Wishing all these exciting-to-watch players a swift, full recovery.

Jaxson Dart, QB - Left MCL/PCL/meniscus

• Giants vs Lions, Week 16

Initially, there were reports that Dart avoided a major injury. But after further imaging, it was determined that the injury was severe enough to need surgery. The surgery likely ends his season, but there is a small possibility he could return in the playoffs.

Most MCL injuries do not need surgery. However, surgery can be indicated for an unstable Grade 3 MCL, distal tear, entrapment of the torn ligament, or multi-ligament tears like we saw with Derrick Barnes’ MCL/PCL in 2024…

Barnes missed the rest of the season but has been very healthy since.

In Dart’s case, he has a multi-ligament MCL/PCL tear like Barnes, but Adam Schefter reports that the meniscus is the main concern. About 5% of MCL tears have associated medial meniscus tears. Dart may be getting a meniscus repair which carries a 3-6 month recovery. While the knee injury is significant, the long-term prognosis should be good.

If Dart decides to seek another opinion, the doctor who magically healed David Montgomery’s MCL in 2024 may still be available…

Jameis Winston now becomes the starting QB for the Giants, which gives the aforementioned Derrick Barnes a chance for redemption…

Caleb Williams, QB - Right hamstring

• Bears vs Lions, Week 12 & 17

The Bears star QB went down in a heap with what looked like might be a severe injury, as he appeared to be in extreme agony and was carted off. Good news for Williams and the Bears, as it turned out to just be a mild right hamstring strain that won’t keep him out long, if at all.

This is a good reminder that different players will have different reactions to injuries on the field, and that is just fine. Williams may have been understandably emotionally frustrated with having to leave a close game late in the 4th quarter. The ubiquity of high-def cameras everywhere in an NFL stadium also means that every momentary reaction will be captured.

Williams does have a history of hamstring issues in his past. Could there have been an antecedent right hamstring strain caused by the awkward posing in this Rivalries jersey photo shoot?

You don’t have to do everything the photographer tells you to do, Caleb.

Jayden Daniels, QB - Left elbow dislocation

The main takeaway from the video is that you are apparently allowed to freely swear on national TV if you’ve won seven Super Bowls.

As for Daniels, this is the same left elbow dislocation as last season. While the injury may look gruesome, his season isn’t necessarily over, as he returned in just five weeks last year without getting surgery. However, this repeat dislocation means there is just too much laxity in the elbow joint at this point.

He has three main options going forward:

1. Surgery now, which likely ends his season.

2. Brace it and try to finish out the season, with surgery after the season.

3. Brace it forever.

In addition, strengthening his arms is probably a good idea that carries no negative side effects.

I do know of someone who could offer some fun tips on strengthening that left arm…

Jayden Reed, WR - Neck/spine

• Packers vs Lions, Week 7 & 18

It’s subtle, but you can see Reed take a blow to the top of the helmet. He immediately goes limp.

Read more

In the video, we see Campbell talking about feeding Gibbs over and over. While there’s nothing wrong with that in itself, the fixation and overreliance on veteran and star players may be hurting the development of team depth.

While Dan Campbell overall has been fantastic (love the 4th-down aggressiveness), nobody is without flaws. His flaw may be that he overemphasizes winning each individual game, at the expense of a broader 17-game view of the season.

• In two games so far, Gibbs (RB) has played 74% and 83% of snaps and the #2 RB Sione Vaki has only had three carries.

• Ennis Rakestraw (CB) has been a healthy inactive the first two games.

• Keith Abney (CB) was a healthy inactive for Week 2.

• Rock Ya-Sin (CB) got 99% and 95% of snaps in the first two weeks.

• Alim McNeill (DT) has played 149 snaps so far, which is 33(!) more than the second-highest defensive tackle in the entire NFL.

• Aidan Hutchinson (EDGE) has had excessively high snap count percentages (91%) the past two seasons.

• Sam LaPorta (TE) got 98% of snaps in Week 2 coming off a microdiscectomy.

These are just some of the data points that support my theory. The argument could be made that the roster depth is poor. This is not necessarily a Brad Holmes issue, as he is hamstrung by a top-heavy roster and the salary cap. It’s the coaches’ job to develop the depth.

For example, Rock Ya-Sin (30yo) may be better than Ennis Rakestraw (24yo) or Keith Abney (21yo) right now, but later in this season and for future seasons, the young players might end up being better - IF they get some playing time.

You could end up with a stronger team heading into the playoffs by playing the youth and depth, with the added benefit of decreasing injury exposure for the starters. We’ve seen the results of being a #1 seed with a team full of injuries. I’d rather be a healthier, well-rounded wild card team. (I recognize the counterpoint that you still need to actually make the playoffs.)

I touched on this theory along with many other topics, including my Buffalo trip and the throwing of Lions foam beer cans, in my visit with Jeff Risdon at the Detroit Lions Podcast…

Dan Campbell Press Conference Updates

Campbell offered no injury updates in today’s press conference, but addressed the concerningly high snap counts for star players like Alim McNeill and Aidan Hutchinson:

Campbell has talked about reducing snap counts many times over the past year, but it just doesn’t seem to happen when the game starts. I wonder if once the game-day adrenaline gets going, the pregame plans get tossed out the window.

Lions Transactions Today

… and Yesterday

Lions vs Jets Initial Injury Report

• 🔴 No practice (NP)

• 🟡 Limited practice (LP)

• 🟢 Full practice (FP)

• *Current starter

DETROIT LIONS (open -6.5)

🔴 Thomas Harper, S - Ankle

Projection: Out

Harper had an ankle injury in practice prior to the second preseason game which caused him to miss the final two preseason games. It’s unknown whether the current ankle injury is related, but certainly possible. If so, that’s not good news. He played 45% of snaps in Week 2. I checked the film and he was in until the end of the game with no apparent issue.

This report today by Richard Silva is reassuring that it’s not a long-term issue…

However, wearing a boot six days after the last game raises eyebrows. Did he hurt the ankle in the game, or sometime afterwards? Regardless, the presence of a boot just four days before a game is not a good sign for his availability.

After the loss of Avonte Maddox, the Lions will be very thin at safety if Harper can’t go. Chuck Clark and Christian Izien would be the presumed starters (Izien may have started over Harper anyway), while the depth is a big question mark.

🔴 *Alim McNeill, DT - Personal

Projection: In

After a ridiculous number of snaps in the first two weeks, McNeill might be getting a deserved break. Hopefully, that’s all this is.

🔴 Ben Bartch, OG - Foot

Projection: Out

Bartch had a slower-than-expected recovery from his December 2025 Lisfranc foot surgery. There were still foot issues that limited him during the offseason and training camp.

I gave him a 9/10 medical concern level upon signing this past offseason due to the tricky nature of a Lisfranc. Now, after just Week 2, he is not practicing due to a foot. If this is a setback with the Lisfranc, it jeopardizes his season. On the optimistic side, he played 100% of snaps in the last game.

Here was Ben Bartch’s medical report at signing…

🟡 Ahmed Hassanein, EDGE - Illness

Projection: In

While there are no details, early-week illnesses are rarely a problem for NFL players. It’s unknown if he had the illness prior to the LP (good) or got sick during practice (bad).

🟡 *Christian Mahogany, LG - Hip & left knee

Projection: In

After missing last game, it’s an excellent sign that Mahogany has an LP on the initial report. That gives him a very good chance to play on Sunday. The hip issue may be just a mild muscle strain. Mahogany’s knee injury is an afterthought now, but could have been much, much worse.

🟡 *Blake Miller, RT - Knee

Projection: In

Miller has just a mild knee issue (MCL?) and missed the last game, but was close to being able to play. He should work his way up to an FP later this week and be in.

🟡 *Tate Ratledge, RG - Elbow

Projection: In

Ratledge played 100% last game with no signs of issue. The LP suggests the elbow injury is minor. I have no record of any significant elbow issues for him in the past.

🟢 *Hogan Hatten, LS - Wrist

Projection: In

Hatten was looked at by medical during the Bills game. Turns out it is a wrist. He didn’t appear to have any snapping issues last game, and the FP means he is good-to-go.

NOTABLES UNLISTED

🔴 Avonte Maddox, S - Put on IR this week as expected due to left foot surgery, and has been added to my Lions IR/PUP/NFI tracker. He’s almost certainly out for the season.

I agree with Con who notes that Maddox had not been effective this season, and it was probably worth trying someone else, regardless of his injury. His loss hurts the already thin depth though.

🔴 Cade Mays, C - The Lions’ original starting center is on IR with a wrist fracture. He has a chance to be back very soon. Projected RTP: Week 5-7.

🔴 Isiah Pacheco, RB - On IR with back surgery. Projected RTP: Early December if all goes well.

🔴 Kerby Joseph, S - On PUP with left knee. Projected RTP: Uncertain.

🔴 Brian Branch, S - On PUP with right Achilles. Not opening his 21-day practice window this week pushes his projected RTP to Week 7-9.

(Note: I refer to stadiums by the city or the team that plays there, not whatever random sponsor paid for the rights at that time - see Fifth Third né Comerica Park.)

Overall impression of the Buffalo Bills stadium

When I go to a brand new NFL stadium these days, I’m excited to see what new and exciting architecture, features, and designs it offers. To my disappointment, the Bills stadium did not deliver any of that. Maybe the bar has been set too high for me by the Los Angeles stadium, which is truly on another level.

But the Buffalo stadium wasn’t even as impressive as the Cowboys stadium (17-years-old), Cardinals stadium (20-years-old), or Texans stadium (24-years-old). Maybe there just wasn’t the funding to go all-out on a flashy stadium, or maybe the owners just wanted to keep things traditional - nothing wrong with any of that. I spoke with many Bills fans who were very happy with the new stadium in comparison to their old one (that I had never been to), which is great for them. I was hoping for more though.

All that said, the Bills stadium was a perfectly fine place to watch the game (as long as you aren’t in one of the obstructed view seats). It just didn’t have any standout features or designs for one that opened in 2026. The overall feel was of a traditionally designed stadium, and not of something new and modern.

Now, the details…

Exterior design

The exterior design of the stadium has a nice clean look, but it did not look quite as good in real life as the renderings or pictures I’ve seen.

The exterior fascia looked pretty plain during the day.

At night, when trimmed with the lights, it looked much nicer.

The overall architectural shape of the stadium was a traditional oval shape and similar to the Giants/Jets stadium.

Stadium entry bag check

Entry into the stadium was smooth and easy. The bag check was the most inconsequential of any stadium I’ve ever been to. I brought a bunch of food and water bottles in clear bags, and the bags were not even checked.

At other stadiums, I’ve had to throw away plain bottled water (Green Bay, boo!) or opened snack foods and opened water bottles (Los Angeles). It was really nice to be able to bring in everything I wanted.

Concourse design

The stadium concourse design was the typical industrial, exposed concrete and felt like any 20+ year old stadium. The passageways were uncomfortably narrow in many spots, leading to massive congestion. Most stadiums are similar, so the concourses were not really a negative.

But in stark contrast, the Los Angeles stadium, which is already 6 years old, was able to make many of the concourses incredibly luxurious, inviting, and beautiful.

LA Stadium concourse pics for comparison:

Bathroom situation

The women’s bathroom situation was a disaster according to my wife. Either there wasn’t a women’s bathroom near my section, or it was broken, or it was unable to be located due to poor signage, or the designers did not think any women actually lived in Buffalo. The only thing I know was that the women’s bathroom was not near the men’s bathroom for some reason.

When I was in the men’s bathroom, I saw frustrated women streaming in to use the men’s stalls. Even the men’s bathroom had a long line (not that uncommon at other stadiums I’ve been to), and I heard many exhortations from Bills fans to bring back the urinal troughs. Women using men’s stalls and men pining for Silverdome-like troughs shouldn’t be a thing in 2026.

Unique exhibits

I love the smashed folding-table art sculpture that was located in the lower concourse. This Buffalo-unique display really deserved a nicer showcase area than just being jammed into one of the concourse walkways where it barely fits. You can see how cramped it is against the ceiling…

I mean where would the hypothetical giant jump off of onto that table? And do we really need a tacky cell-service advertisement right in the middle?

View from the seats

The seating bowl design was just fine, but didn’t have as many tiered bowl sections as other stadiums like Los Angeles or Dallas.

The fit and finish around my seat had noticeable flaws. When you look at where the concrete joins here, you can see how the edges do not come close to lining up…

From a comfort standpoint, the plastic seats themselves were not particularly comfortable.

The stadium scoreboards and displays were few and small. This stadium had by far the hardest-to-see down and distance displays of any stadium I’ve been to. In the small green box below was the most visible display of down and distance from my vantage point…

Fans shouldn’t need binoculars to figure out what the down and distance are at an NFL game. This problem could be easily correctable by putting that info in large print on the jumbotron.

As far as the jumbotron, I had no issue with the size, which is smaller than many stadiums. Replays were easy enough to see, and it was nice that it wasn’t obtrusively large like say the Cowboys stadium.

Obstructed views?

One of the big controversies of the new stadium was the presence of many obstructed views due to poor design. Looking around the stadium, there were many walkways and stairs that passed in front of seated fans in the upper bowl. I’ve sat in these kind of seats in the past (Chicago Soldier Field), and it is very annoying to have people crossing your view all game long. As long as you avoid the first couple rows of a section and avoid seats close to aisles, you should be fine. I can see why season-ticket holders who got stuck with these seats would be very upset though.

In my second-row seat in the lower bowl, there was no significant obstruction, but there was an unnecessary design detail that could block line-of-sight. In front of me was a glass barrier - not a problem in itself, but the metal trim along the top edge is in the sightline of those sitting behind it.

Compare that with the LA stadium which has no metal trim on the glass…

In the LA picture, you can also see how the fit and finish of the stadium is more polished with the concrete work and the glass intersections. To be fair, the LA stadium, at a reported $4.9 billion, cost more than twice the Buffalo stadium, at $2.2 billion.

Another potential obstructed-view problem was the ugly metal safety fencing at the bottom of each aisle (see the green circles below).

This safety barrier is required at every stadium to prevent drunken fans from tripping down the stairs to an untimely demise. (Nobody needs to see more injuries at a football game.) However, there are ways to design it less obtrusively. The LA stadium uses glass instead of a metal fence. I can see how a fan sitting low in the section on the wrong side of the fencing would be upset.

Overall, there seems to be a lot of fan-friendly attention-to-detail that was missed by the stadium designers.

Grass field

The grass field had problems during preseason and was resodded for this game. Whatever they did worked, as the field looked lush and soft, and held up very well. Only a couple times did I see some grass get uplifted and have to get stomped back down by a player. Here is a patch that I saw stomped down by Sam LaPorta…

Stadium experience & production value

Every seat got a commemorative key to mark the opening of the stadium. This key has all-metal construction and looks fantastic. For Bills fans who didn’t go to the game, keys are already available on ebay for about $200. I guess that’s one way to defray the exorbitantly high cost of the tickets.

The key is special for Lions fans also, as “Detroit Lions” is engraved on it…

The production value for the whole night was excellent. The fireworks started an hour before kickoff and kept going all night. There were more fireworks than any other game I’ve ever been to. I love fireworks.

Everyone had synced LED bracelets that created a nice lightshow frequently throughout the night.

The halftime show was excellent, featuring OneRepublic.

On the negative side, the stadium music throughout the game was turned up way too loud. If I want to go to a nightclub, I’ll go to a nightclub. I don’t need a football stadium to blast music into my ear all game to the point I can’t even talk to the person sitting next to me. The Bills stadium music volume level has only been topped by the utterly obnoxious Seahawks stadium DJ.

Stadium surroundings

The stadium is about 20 minutes south of Buffalo in a residential area. There isn’t a large entertainment area or mall in the immediate vicinity of the stadium, like you find in similarly non-downtown locations like the Cardinals, Texans, Cowboys, or Giants/Jets stadiums. I would expect development to occur though over the next few years, and there is already talk of that happening.

Traffic and transportation

Get there early! Traffic getting to the stadium and to parking lots was a nightmare. There was congestion everywhere. What would normally be a 20-minute drive was at least 1.5 hours. The LA stadium in comparison was infinitely easier to get in and out of by car. That’s a surprise (or maybe it shouldn’t be?) considering the much greater metro population of Los Angeles - 12.7 million people vs Buffalo’s 1.1 million.

I paid $70 in advance to reserve a spot at Yellow Brick Parking, which was actually just a large backyard of a house. The drive up to the stadium had many private houses offering lawn parking starting at $20, then $40, then $80 the closer you get to the stadium. So you don’t have to reserve a spot in advance if you don’t want to. Here is the view coming north on Parker Road…

Exiting the stadium was just as bad as entering, if not worse. I was stuck in my parking lot (ok, somebody’s driveway) for 30 minutes with no movement. People were getting out of their cars to see what the deal was. Once things started moving, it was smooth sailing on the highway back to my hotel. I don’t know how much of the congestion issue is first-game kinks to be worked out, or if there are just not enough roads exiting the stadium.

I would absolutely not count on getting a rideshare (Uber) home, especially for a night game in this remote location.

Conclusion

The Bills stadium experience was mostly pleasant, but did not live up to my expectations for an up-to-date, new NFL stadium. It will slot into the lower ranges when I update my NFL stadium rankings for 2027.

In the coming days, I’ll review the Buffalo food scene as well as things-to-do in the area.

For my 2026 NFL stadium experience rankings…

• 🔴Bad news or high concern

• 🟡Uncertain or moderately concerning

• 🟢Good news or low concern

🔴 Avonte Maddox - Left foot surgery

Maddox will go on IR. While it sounds like there is no chance he’ll be back this season, the IR rules do not require the team to designate who is going to return right away. So technically, he is eligible to return late this season or playoffs if he is somehow ready.

We don’t know the diagnosis yet for Maddox, but my concern for a severe Lisfranc is increased with this news. See my postgame report for my initial reactions on Maddox’s foot injury…

With the loss of Maddox, the Lions signed 32-year-old Jalen Mills to the practice squad today. He played three games for the Lions in 2025.

🟡 Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph PUP status

Both are eligible to open their 21-day practice window right now, and could play as soon as Week 5.

For Joseph, the news was expected.

For Branch, the news is slightly disappointing, but not a surprise nor necessarily a sign of a setback. It pushes his earliest RTP (return-to-play in game) date to probably October 25, Week 7 (after the bye). A November return is increasing in likelihood.

George Kittle’s return from an Achilles in about eight months is impressive and also an anomaly. The details of the injury may be the reason. Here are relevant excerpts from this ESPN article at the time of injury:

It was the "best-case scenario" because of where the tear occurred and how clean it was.

"Surgery went really, really good," Kittle said. "[ElAttrache] said best-case scenario when you tear an Achilles is that you tear it up high by your soleus, which is what I did. I had a clean tear. They didn't have to drill into my heel. And where the repair was there's more blood flow. And so it takes some time off of the recovery time... It's not as bad as other ones."

It sounds like Kittle’s tear may be more muscle related, and less tendon related.

Branch’s expected RTP of 10-11 months is much more typical for an Achilles. In addition, Branch plays a much more demanding position as a coverage defender, who needs to backpedal constantly and react instantly to cover the opponent. An offensive player is generally able to compensate better for disabilities, which could shave time off the RTP.

Here is my complete initial analysis of Branch’s Achilles injury…

Should the Lions have done more this offseason at the safety position?

The Lions had a lot of major holes this past offseason, which they used premium resources to fill in Cade Mays (C), Blake Miller (OT), and Derrick Moore (EDGE). Thus, they may have run out of resources to adequately address safety.

The Lions may be regretting giving up those two 3rd-round picks in the Isaac TeSlaa trade, as you can get a playable starting safety in the 3rd round. Brad Holmes admitted he was in the market for a safety in his post-draft press conference.

Here were safeties taken in the 2026 NFL 3rd round and before the Lions pick of Jimmy Rolder in the 4th round (#118).

• AJ Haulcy at #78

• Jakobe Thomas at #98

• Jadon Canady at #109

The Lions did have the opportunity to draft safety Genesis Smith who went #131. He played 57% (36 total) defensive snaps for the Chargers yesterday and made some nice plays from what I saw.

🔴 Kerby Joseph knee status

Dan Campbell gave us a lot to break down here.

Read more

I’m back home to Washington state from Buffalo, but not without overcoming multiple flight cancellations and delays and missed connections due to bad weather in Chicago and Denver. It’s ok, my travel turmoil was pleasant in comparison to watching the Lions’ woeful performance on Thursday night.

While on the plane home, I was able to watch almost all of the TV copy of the game, and it tracked well with what I saw in person. From a health standpoint, the outcome was favorable, as Avonte Maddox was the only injury I saw (unless you count Rock Ya-Sin’s testicles, which should be fine).

From a game standpoint, the inability of the Lions to get Jahmyr Gibbs any running space is very concerning, and the multi-year long inability of the defense to stop QB bootlegs is infuriating. I’m fairly certain my 13-year-old son has yet to see the Lions successfully stop a bootleg. I’m also fairly certain my 13-year-old son could have gained 70 yards bootlegging the Lions defense on Thursday.

Coming up in the next few days, I’ll have a full review of the Bills stadium (a bit underwhelming), the food scene (wings and weck for days), and the Buffalo/Niagara experience (epic Falls adventures).

In the meantime, here’s the pleasantly-short postgame injury report from Lions vs Bills:

• 🔴Bad news or high concern

• 🟡Uncertain or moderately concerning

• 🟢Good news or low concern

🔴Avonte Maddox, S (2q 12:41) - Left foot

The TV copy did not show any replays of Maddox’s injury. What I saw in-person was he appeared to run into Chuck Clark and go down. When medical came onto the field, the orthopedist’s initial exam was to the left midfoot area. This immediately made me concerned for a Lisfranc injury. Here was my vantage point…

As this reader accurately added, a plantar fascia injury is in that area of the foot also…

Other possibilities for the foot include a Jones fracture or turf toe. Any of these possibilities could be a multi-week recovery or more, depending on severity.

The on-field exam continued to the ankle and lower leg, but fortunately there did not seem to be any concern for the Achilles.

Maddox certainly had X-rays in stadium to check for a fracture. There is even an MRI machine at the Bills stadium, but it’s uncertain if this was utilized or not. After the game, he was reportedly in a boot and on crutches - certainly not a good sign, but not necessarily a sign of a long-term injury. Better to play it safe and avoid aggravation if there is any doubt.

After the game, Dan Campbell stated:

Maddox has been banged up a lot over the past few seasons, which was why I gave him a moderate 5/10 medical concern level as a free agent this past offseason. Here was my medical report on Maddox from April, which includes pec surgery, toe surgery, neck injury, and more…

One of the concerns with Maddox was his age of 30. The advanced age of the secondary was one of my top 3 concerns heading into the season.

So far, Maddox already is worrisome for a significant injury, and the 30-year-old Rock Ya-Sin doesn’t look as good as he did last season. With age comes an increased risk of falling-off-a-cliff in performance and health at any time. The Lions have many young defensive backs (Ennis Rakestraw, Keith Abney, Nick Whiteside, Aamaris Brown) who might be worth trying to develop out there.

NOTABLES

🟢Christian Mahogany (LG) was on IR-watch heading into the game for hip & knee injuries, and ended up not going on IR - great news that signals he may be available within 1-2 weeks. Ben Bartch has had some glaring mistakes in the first two weeks, so it could help a lot to get Mahogany back.

My Lions Player Injury Tracker is updated for Mahogany and more, so check it out.

🟢DJ Reed (CB) was “questionable” for the game after a foot injury just two days prior. He ended up playing 96% of snaps and looked good. While there are no details on the foot injury, it must have been something very minor like getting stepped on causing a contusion or laceration. If you’re scoring at home, that’s 1 of 2 “questionables” that have played this year. Last year, the Lions’ “questionable play rate was 78%…

🟡Brian Branch (S) and Kerby Joseph (S), who are on PUP, are now eligible to open their 21-day practice window and can play as early as Game 5. I think there is a decent chance that Branch opens his window. Joseph’s status is uncertain and probably unrelated to his health at this point. The knee isn’t getting any better after 11 months of rest, so it just depends on when the Lions want to start testing it. I’m guessing the team will wait until November to do so.

Lions Week 2 Snap Count Analysis

OFFENSE

🔴Sam LaPorta (98%) - This is a very high snap count, but not unprecedented for LaPorta, who hit 100% in Week 9 last season. If the Lions are just letting him play out this final year of his contract, then the high snap count might make sense from a team standpoint - use him before you lose him. If the Lions plan on extending him, some load-management would be wise for his disc issue.

🔴Jahmyr Gibbs (83%) - Sione Vaki got just 17% and Jacob Saylors 0% (again). This is the second straight week of a very heavy workload for Gibbs. I know the Lions want to win games, but this game against an AFC opponent on a short week seemed like an ideal time to spread out the snaps.

DEFENSE

🟡Aidan Hutchinson (85%, 63 total) - So far, Hutch is getting a little more rest than last year, when he averaged 91%. Last game, he was at 83%. He appears to be winded often during the first two games, so his decreased percentage may be due to fatigue more than anything.

🟢Christian Izien (35%) - After missing one game with his groin, he played a good number of snaps. With his thick frame, tree-trunk legs, and #5 jersey, I thought David Montgomery had somehow snuck back onto the team…

Hopefully, Izien can provide an upgrade to the secondary the rest of the season. The Lions could really use it.

In positive news, my Lions’ hat survived Niagara Falls and is “In” for Thursday.

Here is the final injury report for Lions vs Bills:

Detroit Lions (line +5.5)

• 🔴”Out” or “Doubtful” designation

• 🟡”Questionable”

• 🟢”In”

• *Current starter

🔴*Christian Mahogany, LG - Hip

Mahogany is out and Ben Bartch will start. Bartch played 86% of snaps in Week 1 when Mahogany got hurt early. There may not be much, if any, drop-off as Bartch and Mahogany were neck-and-neck in competition at LG.

Mahogany definitely injured his left knee during Game 1 (grabbed the knee and ruled out with a knee during game), but was able to escape any significant injury to that body part. Even though the knee is not listed on the report, it likely was a factor in his overall health status for the upcoming game.

The surprise was that he ended up with a hip injury with an uncertain relation to the knee injury. It’s possible he hurt his hip on the same play. But there are signs suggesting the hip was injured earlier in the game, or maybe even in pregame.

Dan Campbell earlier this week stated: “I don’t think this is something serious, long-term.” Even if the injury isn’t serious, IR is a possibility.

Thus, Mahogany is on IR-watch through Thursday, up until gametime. If he avoids IR, then that is great news for his health.

🔴*Blake Miller, RT - Knee

Miller is out, which means Larry Borom is probably the starting RT. Borom got 9 snaps in Week 1 in the jumbo TE (Skipper) role.

Miller played 100% in Game 1. The nature of the knee injury is unknown, but he did get rolled up on, which could have sprained his MCL.

Even though Miller is out for Thursday, the signals are strong that this is not a serious injury. It seems like there is a good chance he’ll be ready for Game 3.

One of Miller’s greatest attributes coming out of college was his incredible reliability with 54 straight starts. However, with the Lions, his consecutive start streak has already ended at 1.

🟡*DJ Reed, CB - Foot

Projection: Lean out

Last year, Lions’ “Questionables” played at a 78% clip. This year, the “Questionables” are 0 for 1 (Izien). It could be 0 for 2 after Thursday.

A midweek surprise foot listing made a long-term injury a possibility for Reed. However, the news was excellent today with an LP and a Questionable listing. That means the injury is short-term.

As far as Thursday, there just might not be enough time for him to be safely ready. From a season-long perspective, I’m not sure you want to push it in Week 2 against an AFC opponent.

🟢*Juice Scruggs, C - Knee

Scruggs’ injury ended up being minor as he got up to an FP on Wednesday.

🟢Christian Izien, S - Groin

After missing Game 1, Izien is fully ready for Game 2. With the struggles of the safety group in Game 1, it will be interesting to see how much playing time Izien gets.

Notables Unlisted

• 🔴Cade Mays, C - The Lions’ original starting center is on IR with a wrist fracture. Projected RTP: Week 5-7.

• 🔴Isiah Pacheco, RB - On IR with back surgery. See yesterday’s article for the latest analysis on Pacheco’s back injury. Projected RTP: December, at best.

• 🔴Kerby Joseph, S - On PUP with left knee. Projected RTP: Uncertain.

• 🔴Brian Branch, S - On PUP with right Achilles. Projected RTP: Week 5-8.

Buffalo Bills

Here is the Bills’ injury report analysis, courtesy of Dr. Kyle Trimble of BangedUpBills.com.

Also, check out his Substack: .

My full Buffalo food review is coming soon, but here are some pics in the meantime…

Anchor Bar:

WingNutz:

Atomic Wings:

The current weather forecast shows the possibility of rain leading up to the game. As an agronomy ignoramus, I don’t know if that helps or hurts the grass field situation.

As a fan attending the game, I hope the skies are clear as I would hate to have to cover up my new Lions Rivalries jersey with a plastic poncho. You REALLY won’t be able to tell the actual color of the jersey with a poncho over it. It’s actually silver, I swear…

Isiah Pacheco, RB - Back nerve injury

A report by Ian Rapoport shed some light on Pacheco’s injury…

As I had feared when he was placed on IR, Pacheco’s back injury was indeed serious. This injury originally occurred around August 20. Based on Rapoport’s report which forecasts a possible return in early December, Pacheco may have only recently had surgery, as 12 weeks from now is December 8.

It’s common to see if back symptoms resolve with conservative (non-surgical) treatment first. So Pacheco may have given the back about 2 to 3 weeks to try to improve, before deciding to go forward with surgery.

Surgery to remove a “body” almost certainly involves the spine, which was my suspicion when he went on IR. When Rapoport says “body”, it’s a generic term that could mean any anatomic part of the spine that is pressing on the nerve. I don’t think it necessarily refers to the vertebral body as shown in the anatomic diagram below.

I agree with xylo that bone, disc, or cyst are possibilities.

As far as the exact surgery, a laminectomy and/or microdiscectomy are possibilities, as reader Matt McManus points out…

A microdiscectomy could have a return in the 12-week range… if everything goes well.

See my earlier story where Sam LaPorta speaks about his microdiscectomy recovery…

As LaPorta mentioned with his surgery, back surgery to relieve nerve symptoms is tricky and uncertain. Will the nerve compression be successfully addressed by the surgery? How fast will the nerve heal up? Will the nerve symptoms fully resolve?

Pacheco will have to overcome these hurdles in order to return this season. Even if his back symptoms resolve, his conditioning and strength will need to build up again.

How did Pacheco injure his back?

The report implies that he hurt it while rehabbing from his MCL. While possible, I do wonder if there is more to the story. Was he training too hard? Was there a pre-existing issue that was exacerbated or just found out?

Detroit Lions Midweek Injury Report (Line +5)

• 🔴No practice (NP)

• 🟡Limited practice (LP)

• 🟢Full practice (FP)

• *Current Starter

🔴*Christian Mahogany, LG - Hip

Projection: Out. Potential RTP in 2-3wk.

Yesterday, Dan Campbell stated: “I don’t think this is something serious, long-term.” If Mahogany avoids IR before the game, that would be excellent confirmation that this is not a serious injury. He’s almost certainly out for Thursday though.

🔴*Blake Miller, RT - Knee

Projection: Lean out

As you saw on my postgame injury report, Miller was rolled up on, which can cause a high ankle sprain and knee MCL sprain. While it sounds like the injury is minor, the NP today is not a good sign for Thursday’s availability. The short week may force him to miss a game. If he can get up to a LP on Wednesday, then he might have a chance.

🟡*DJ Reed, CB - Foot

Projection: Uncertain

A surprise LP midweek can have a range of possibilities. From a minor injury that caused some limitation in practice, to a serious injury that forced him to leave practice. As of now, there are no details.

As Nick on X pointed out, the Lions had a walkthrough today, so the hope is Reed couldn’t have suffered anything too serious.

If Reed has a NP tomorrow, concern levels will rise. If he has a LP or better tomorrow, then that is extremely reassuring.

🟡*Juice Scruggs, C - Knee

Projection: In

I did not see an injury during the game and Scruggs played 100% of snaps. Two LPs this week is a good sign for his availability.

🟢Christian Izien, S - Groin

Projection: In

Two FPs has him in vs the Bills.

Notables Unlisted

• 🔴Cade Mays, C - The Lions’ original starting center is on IR with a wrist fracture. Projected RTP: Week 5-7.

• 🔴Isiah Pacheco, RB - On IR with back surgery. Projected RTP: December, at best.

• 🔴Kerby Joseph, S - On PUP with left knee. Projected RTP: Uncertain.

• 🔴Brian Branch, S - On PUP with right Achilles. Projected RTP: Week 5-8.

Buffalo Bills Injury Report

For the comprehensive updates on the Buffalo Bills’ health and injuries, visit Dr. Kyle Trimble at BangedUpBills.com or on his Substack - . Like me, Dr. Trimble is a big fan of his team, which allows for a level of insights, depth, and care that most won’t have.

Both of us are rooting for a clean game… and a rematch in the Super Bowl.

So far, my food adventure in Buffalo is going well…

Mostly well, anyway…

Analyzing the Week 1 snap counts is always interesting because coaches’ actions in the game speak louder than all the positive hype they have been bestowing upon players throughout training camp. Here are my takeaways:

Lions Week 1 Snap Count Analysis

Defense:

• Aidan Hutchinson was at 83%. This is a great start as far as lowering his snap counts from last year’s excessive 91%. My target recommendation was 70-82%, so Hutch is close to that range. Here was my reasoning from earlier…

• The defense was on the field a lot in Week 1. While Hutchinson’s percentage was lower, his absolute number of 75 snaps was only topped twice last season.

• Skyler Gill-Howard (52%) got more snaps than Tyleik Williams (39%). It’s possible this was due to the fact that the Saints were in a lot of passing situations throughout the game, as they were trailing a lot. It’s also quite possible that the Lions just really like SGH.

• Thomas Harper (60%) got more snaps than Chuck Clark (46%). Clark started the game, but Harper got more snaps. A brief injury is a possibility, but I didn’t see any injury to Clark during the game, and he played until the end of overtime.

Offense:

• Jahmyr Gibbs got 74% of snaps which is reasonable, but almost 100% of touches with 29 carries and 5 receptions. Jacob Saylors, who looked great in preseason, didn’t even get a single offensive snap. Sione Vaki played a decent amount (29%), but only got 2 carries and 1 reception. The Lions must do a better job of spreading around the touches going forward if they hope to have Gibbs healthy all season. I do understand that many non-touch snaps require the RB to take on blitzing defenders which isn’t a safe task either.

• Sam LaPorta got 81% of snaps, while Wright played a substantial 51%. Last year, LaPorta averaged 91% in the games he played. With LaPorta’s disc issue, it will be interesting to track his snap counts over the season.

Lions Week 2 Initial Injury Report

• 🔴Bad news or high concern

• 🟡Uncertain or moderately concerning

• 🟢Good news or low concern

🟡Christian Mahogany, LG - Hip

Projection: Out. Potential RTP in 2-3wk.

The hip listing is interesting as he left game with knee injury. Keep in mind that teams are not required to list every body part that is injured on a player (unless it’s Frank Ragnow). This is excellent news for the knee as he avoided a major LCL/PLC sprain or a significant bone bruise.

As many of you on X pointed out, he was slow getting up on the prior play. I reviewed that play along with all his earlier plays and didn’t see anything obvious for hip. A hip flexor strain that he sustained early in the game is a possibility.

Dan Campbell today stated: “I don't think this is something serious, long-term."

🟡Blake Miller, RT - Knee

Projection: Toss-up for Thursday

Miller played 100% of game so the knee could be minor. But the NP designation does raise concern. I did not see a specific knee injury on my first watch of the game. As you saw on my postgame injury report, Miller was rolled up on which was concerning for an ankle sprain, but can also injure the MCL.

If this was indeed the play of injury, it doesn’t look too bad for the MCL. But, you never know.

Dan Campbell today stated that Miller has a chance to play on Thursday, which is very reassuring that it is not a serious injury.

🟢Juice Scruggs, C - Knee

Projection: In

I did not see an injury during game and Scruggs played 100% of snaps. All this, along with the LP designation, is reassuring that the knee injury is not serious.

🟢Christian Izien, S - Groin

Projection: In

An FP for Izien means he is ready to go. He’ll get 10 days of recovery after the Thursday game. His presence should help out a safety group that may have gotten fatigued on Sunday.

Dan Campbell Updates

🔴Isiah Pacheco, RB, had surgery for his back and “it’s going to be a while.” As feared, this back injury ended up being serious. I would not expect him to return this season.

Update on Pacheco:

What I didn’t like is that the team had to play another nine minutes, with the corresponding added exposure to injury. Fortunately, this was a very healthy game for the Lions, with the only immediate concern being Christian Mahogany.

Here are the injuries I saw, along with my suspected diagnoses.

• 🔴Bad news or high concern

• 🟡Uncertain or moderately concerning

• 🟢Good news or low concern

🟡Christian Mahogany, LG (1q 5:59) - Left knee or hip?

Christian Mahogany got the start at LG, as expected. Unfortunately, his stay was short.

Mahogany kicks his own feet here, which causes an awkward overextension step onto the left leg. All the force on the straight leg causes the knee to bend into varus (away from the midline of the body), which stretches out the lateral side of the knee. An LCL (lateral collateral ligament) or PLC (posterolateral corner) sprain are possible. Best case is a simple bone bruise without cartilage damage, which could be just a short-term issue.

Mahogany was officially listed with a “knee” during the game.

After the game, Dan Campbell stated: “We did do a [knee] scan that came out negative, but that doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods. Sounds like it could be more hip maybe, but we’ll see.”

If this is indeed a hip, it could be similar to what we saw with Sam Darnold’s possible hip injury earlier this week, where the femur jams into the hip joint. A hip labrum injury becomes a possibility, with a small chance of a hip wall fracture. CT/MRI’s are pending.

🟢Blake Miller, RT (2q 9:23) - Right ankle

Miller gets rolled up on here, causing an external rotation of his right ankle, which can cause a high-ankle sprain. He didn’t miss a play, but this is something to watch. We’ve seen many times in the past where offensive linemen finish out a game with a high-ankle, but then miss subsequent games

It’s reassuring that I did not see any reports of Miller being in a boot after the game.

🟢Avonte Maddox, S (2q 8:41) - Right elbow nerve

Maddox is holding his right elbow and flexing his fingers like he’s having nerve symptoms of numbness and tingling. He went to the locker room briefly, but returned to the game and looked just fine. I’m suspecting a simple nerve irritation like a “funny bone” (ulnar nerve). No concerns here.

🟢Rock Ya-Sin OT 4:05 - Upper chest contusion

It looks like Ya-Sin just got a cleat into the upper chest. He left briefly, but returned. No concern at all here.

Of particular note, Ya-Sin got through the game without any cramps, which was a problem for him on multiple occasions last season. That’s a good sign for his conditioning to start the season.

NOTABLES

🟡Christian Izien was inactive after being the only “Questionable” on the final injury report. I suspect he has a good chance of being active on Thursday Night.

🟡Mekhi Wingo was inactive. Technically, he was a “healthy” scratch, but he was also just coming off his second groin injury of the preseason.

🟡Jimmy Rolder was inactive. Another technically “healthy” scratch, but he had just recovered from a multi-week hamstring.

🟡Ennis Rakestraw was disappointingly inactive. He did have a mild low-ankle sprain recently, but this looks like a healthy scratch.

🟡Ahmed Hassanein was inactive, which was a slight surprise after his big preseason. There was no health concern for him entering the game.

Five Lions Rookies Active

The first game was an excellent start for the 2026 rookie class as 5 members were active.

🟢Blake Miller, OT: 1st round

🟢Derrick Moore, EDGE: 2nd round
🟢Keith Abney, CB: 5th round
🟢Skyler Gill-Howard, DT: 6th round
🟢Eric O’Neill, EDGE: UDFA

Programming note: I am heading to Buffalo this coming week for the Lions’ Thursday Night game, so my articles may be fewer and differently-abled, as I attempt to survive Niagara Falls while engorged with a ridiculous amount of Buffalo wings. Rest assured, I will return with a full review of the Bills’ new stadium, the Buffalo area, and most importantly, the wings. Follow me on X @JimmyLiaoMD for my updates and impressions on gameday.

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Before the regular season starts, here’s the final injury tally of training camp and preseason for the Lions.

I grouped the Lions preseason injuries into tiers of impact - taking into account the injury severity and the importance of the player. Some minor or unreported injuries may not be included.

• 🔴High impact to team

• 🟡Moderate impact to team

• 🟢Low impact to team

• 🚧Active injury issue

This list includes the 3 remaining players on Lions PUP/NFI (Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, Giovanni Manu) whose injuries occurred prior to camp. For a regularly updated look at the health of the team, visit my Lions Injury Tracker.

(RTP = return-to-play in a game)

Detroit Lions Training Camp Injury Summary

• Excellent results as far as avoiding severe, season-ending injuries. No ACL or Achilles ruptures.

• Only one starter suffered a significant injury - Cade Mays - and he shouldn’t miss too many games.

• When adding the 2026 data to the previous 2 training camps, the Lions have not had significant injury ramifications from camp. See my camp analysis of the past 2 years here…

🚧🔴Cade Mays, C - Wrist fracture

• Approximate date of injury: August 9

• Projected RTP: October. Week 5 to 7.

Mays suffered a wrist fracture from a teammate arm chop. Losing the new starting center for much of camp and the first few weeks of the season is not a great start for the offense. He was placed on IR, which makes his first possible return in Week 5.

The Lions offensive line must play better than last season. And no, Frank Ragnow is not coming back (last I checked).

🚧🔴Isiah Pacheco, RB - MCL & Back

• Approximate date of injury: August 9 for MCL, August 20 for the back

• Projected RTP: Uncertain. Week 5 at best, but could be much longer.

An MCL early in camp kept him out of practice. While he was still recovering from the MCL, a mystery back injury compounded the injury woes and landed him on IR. A 2+ month recovery for a back issue is concerning for something serious like a spinal problem. If so, there is a chance he won’t return this season.

🚧🔴Kerby Joseph, S - Left knee

• Approximate date of injury: July, 2025

• Projected RTP: Uncertain

This injury started over 13 months ago, and Joseph is currently still on PUP and unable to practice. That sums up the concern, and is why there is doubt whether he will ever play again. This superstar safety was the #1 injury story of 2025.

🚧🔴Brian Branch, S - Right Achilles

• Date of injury: December 4, 2025

• Projected RTP: October-November, Week 5-8.

Branch is on PUP into the season, putting his earliest possible return in Week 5. I do not have concern for a setback, as an October-November recovery was the expectation from the beginning.

🟡Jimmy Rolder, LB - Hamstring strain

• Approximate date of injury: July 31

Rolder missed much of training camp due to this injury. There was initial concern he might miss the early part of the season and even go on IR. It’s good to be young, as he’s already recovered and available for Week 1.

🟡Derrick Moore, EDGE - Groin & Hamstring strain

• Approximate date of injury: August 25 for hamstring

This 2nd-round rookie missed a couple weeks with the groin, but was able to recover and play well in preseason Game 2. He then had a hamstring injury after that. Fortunately, the hamstring was mild and Moore is in for Week 1.

🚧🟡Christian Izien, S - Groin

• Approximate date of injury: August 25

• Projected RTP: Week 2-3.

Good news that Izien is up to limited practices leading up to Week 1 with the groin. That means the injury is not severe and he should be ready soon.

🚧🟡Giovanni Manu, OT - Unknown injury

• Approximate date of injury: July, 2026

• Projected RTP: November, if at all

We still don’t know why Manu was placed on NFI. It’s quite possible the Lions are unhappy with how his injury situation played out. The initial reported timeline by Dan Campbell was 12-14 weeks. It’s not looking good for this 3rd-year project.

🟡Mekhi Wingo, DT - Concussion & Groin & another Groin

• Approximate date of injury: Early September for second groin

Wingo recovered from the concussion in preseason Game 1 to play in nine days. The first groin in early August was short-term. The recent second groin was also short-term, as he is available for Week 1. However, recurrent groin issues are a concern for Wingo moving forward.

🚧🟡Mason Miller, C - Unspecified

• Approximate date of injury: Early September

• Projected RTP: Uncertain

Miller is on the practice squad with an unknown injury presumably suffered in practice recently. He had played well at center in preseason Game 3.

🟡Ben Bartch, OG - Lisfranc recovery & Concussion

• Approximate date of injury: December 2025 Lisfranc surgery, August 16 concussion.

A slow-recovery from a 2025 Lisfranc surgery and then a practice concussion wiped out much of Bartch’s training camp. The Lions clearly thought he could win the LG position (and he still might). But all that lost practice time may have cost him the job, as it looks like incumbent Christian Mahogany will start at LG.

🟡Jabari Small, RB - Concussion(s)

• Date of injury: August 22 concussion, August 29 suspected concussion.

Small suffered a concussion in preseason Game 2 and probably another, seven days later in Game 3. Surprisingly, he still made the 53-man roster which implies that the Lions like him quite a bit. Since making the roster, he has been waived and then added to the practice squad.

🟢Sam LaPorta, TE - Hip pointer?

Read more

For those who missed it a few days ago, I had a great discussion with Jeff Risdon of the Detroit Lions Podcast in reviewing the health outlook of the team…

Now, on to the final injury report for Week 1.

• 🔴”Out” or “Doubtful” designation

• 🟡”Questionable”

• 🟢”In”

DETROIT LIONS (line -7)

🟡Christian Izien, S - Groin

Projection: Out. Good chance of playing in Game 2 on Thursday Night vs Bills.

On Friday, Dan Campbell stated: “He’s close. Knowing that we’re going on a short week after this will have a bearing on this too.”

Campbell confirms my speculation that the short week may impact the availability of players on the edge of recovery. Four days may not be enough recovery time if the injury has only just healed up. It’s much safer to get that 10 day recovery time after Week 2. The lack of an FP also signals that it would be safer to let Izien sit out this game.

My 2025 analysis of “Questionables” reveals that 78% end up playing. We’ll see how it goes with the Lions lone “Questionable” on Sunday.

🟢Derrick Moore, EDGE - Hamstring

On Friday, Dan Campbell stated: “He should be good to go. He’s put in two pretty good days here of heavy work, heavy for him. I like where he’s trending.”

Turns out the trend was excellent, as Moore got a Friday FP and is in. That’s big news to get this 2nd-round rookie in action along the defensive line.

Like kk on X, I’m very excited to see Moore play. If he can be a playmaking pass rusher, that would dramatically elevate the ceiling of this team.

🟢Mekhi Wingo, DT - Groin

Wingo’s first groin strain this preseason kept him out for only about four days. His second groin has not cost him much time either. It’s nice to see him available for Week 1. Keep in mind though that he was a healthy scratch for almost all of last season, so it’s not guaranteed he’ll be in uniform on Sunday.

🟢Keith Abney, CB - Hand

🟢Thomas Harper, S - Ankle

🟢Trevor Nowaske, LB - Knee

🟢Ennis Rakestraw, CB - Ankle

🟢Jimmy Rolder, LB - Hamstring

NOTABLES UNLISTED

🔴Cade Mays, C (wrist fracture) - The Lions’ starting center is on IR with a projected return of Week 5-7.

🔴Brian Branch, S (Achilles) - This star safety is on PUP with a projected return of Week 5-8.

🔴Kerby Joseph, S (knee) - This All-Pro safety is on PUP with an uncertain return.

🔴Isiah Pacheco, RB (back) - This backup RB is on IR with a mystery back injury. He has an uncertain return. It will be fascinating to see how much playing time Jacob Saylors and Sione Vaki get in relief of Jahmyr Gibbs.

🟢Sam LaPorta, TE (Microdiscectomy 2025) - This star TE got in a full week of practice. It will be interesting to see if he gets some rest days later this season.

🟢Christian Mahogany, LG - On Friday, Dan Campbell stated “Good chance that Mahogany starts.” I like this because it’s best for the Lions long-term if Mahogany wins the job over Bartch for age, health, and contract reasons. Mahogany and Bartch are both currently healthy, but Bartch has had to overcome a Lisfranc and concussion recently.

🔴Levi Onwuzurike, DT - Released by the Lions today. It’s uncertain the reason, but he carried significant health concerns with an ACL surgery in 2025 and spinal fusion in 2022. I wrote about these concerns earlier this year…

🔴Tyre West, DT - This 7th-round rookie was released by the Lions from the practice squad today.

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NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

🔴Oscar Delp, TE - Hamstring

This 3rd-round rookie will miss his first game.

🔴Audric Estimé, RB - Thigh

Estimé had 46 carries for 198 yards last season.

🔴Cameron Jordan, LB - Hamstring

Jordan had 10.5 sacks last season, so he’s a big loss.

🟡Alvin Kamara, RB - Knee

The FP on Friday gives Kamara a good chance to play vs the Lions. He is recovering from an MCL suffered on August 18. He had 471 rushing yards last season. Travis Etienne, who had 1107 rushing yards last season with the Jaguars, is the starter.

🟢Davon Godchaux, DL - Rest

NOTABLES UNLISTED

🔴Jordyn Tyson (WR) - The Saints’ 1st-round rookie’s hamstring woes continued and he is on IR.

🔴Brian Bresee (DT) - This starting defensive lineman is out for the year with an ACL suffered in camp.

🔴Dillon Radunz (OL) - This backup offensive lineman is out for the year with an ACL suffered in camp.

The determination of which “Questionables” played can be a bit tricky as players can have their official status changed AFTER the final injury report of the week. In 2025, the Lions, on many occasions the day before the game, downgraded players from “Questionable” to “Out”, or from “No Designation” to “Questionable”. To keep things clear, it’s the final injury report that is the focus here.

I reviewed all the final injury reports for the 2025 season and counted up the number of “Questionables”. That is the first number shown after the game number. The number after the colon represents how many of those “Questionables” actually played in the game.

(Games played data via pro-football-reference.com)

2025 Game - Questionables : Played

Game 1 - 0 : 0

Game 2 - 2 : 2

Game 3 - 4 : 4

Game 4 - 2 : 2

Game 5 - 2 : 1

Game 6 - 6 : 3

Game 7 - 3 : 3

Game 8 - 4 : 3

Game 9 - 6 : 5

Game 10 - 10 : 7

Game 11 - 8 : 8

Game 12 - 8 : 7

Game 13 - 7 : 6

Game 14 - 7 : 4

Game 15 - 5 : 3

Game 16 - 11 : 9

Game 17 - 5 : 3

TOTAL 90 Questionables : 70 Played = 78%

CONCLUSIONS

• In 2025, 78% of Detroit Lions “Questionables” on the final injury report played in the game.

• If you’re wondering about the “Doubtful” designation, the Lions only used it a single time in 2025. Sione Vaki got that distinction in Game 2, and he did not play.

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In this unboxing video, here is what I cover:

• A close look at the actual color of the Detroit Lions Rivalries jersey

• Game jersey vs Limited jersey difference

• Comparison of the Rivalries to previous gray jerseys and white jerseys

• Comparison of Rivalries blue to current and previous jerseys

• Texture of carbon fiber pattern

• Sizing comparison of medium vs large jerseys

• Quick review of the Nike Vapor FUSE Elite jersey

• Tips on how to remove the nameplate

To be clear, I purchased all these jerseys myself at full price. This video was not sponsored by Fanatics or the Lions or anybody else, except my wallet. These jerseys are all “genuine”, directly from Fanatics.

After shooting the video, I analyzed the carbon fiber texture on the nameplate and numbers a bit more. There is a bit of raised texture on the nameplate letters, but it’s not as raised or as aggressively embossed as the front number. Interestingly, the back number texture is the same as the nameplate letters - both are not as raised as the front number.

The front number is clearly made of superior materials, and I really like how aggressively it is textured. I wish this better texture was used on the back of the jersey as well.

Back of jersey⬇️

Front of jersey⬇️

Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about any of the jerseys.

Leave a comment

As always, not listed on the report are players on IR/PUP/NFI such as Cade Mays (IR), Isiah Pacheco (IR), Brian Branch (PUP), and Kerby Joseph (PUP). Also, practice squad players who are injured like Mason Miller will not be listed. So it’s not a totally clean picture of health for the team.

• 🔴No practice (NP)

• 🟡Limited practice (LP)

• 🟢Full practice (FP)

When reviewing my projections, keep in mind that the Lions have a short turnaround to Game 2 on Thursday Night vs the Bills. Thus, players who are on the edge may wait to return until Game 2 to get a full week of recovery afterwards.

DETROIT LIONS (line -7)

🟡Mekhi Wingo, DT - Groin

Projection: Out

This is the second groin issue for Wingo in the past month. He had a minor groin injury early in camp with a return to practice in four days. Of more concern might be the fact that he has a history of two groin surgeries around 2023.

🟡Derrick Moore, EDGE - Hamstring

Projection: Lean out

Moore had a hamstring issue pre-draft which turned out to be a minor issue. Now, he has another hamstring which occurred around August 25. He also had a groin strain early in camp on August 2. That’s a lot of strains in one year. For this reason, the Lions may want to be cautious here.

🟡Christian Izien, S - Groin

Projection: Out

This previously unspecified injury that occurred around August 25 has turned out to be a groin. The initial expectation was a return in late September, so it’s good news he’s already practicing, albeit limited.

🟢Keith Abney, CB - Hand

Projection: In

In 2025, Abney had a left hand fracture with surgery. It’s unknown whether the current hand issue is related. An FP means it won’t affect his availability.

🟢Trevor Nowaske, LB - Knee

Projection: In

This injury that occurred around August 25 was previously described by Dan Campbell as an unspecified “sprain”. Now we know it’s a knee sprain. Good news it’s nothing serious.

🟢Thomas Harper, S - Ankle

Projection: In

The ankle injury occurred around August 20.

🟢Jimmy Rolder, LB - Hamstring

Projection: In

The hamstring was suffered on July 31. The FP means Rolder is pretty much ready to go just six weeks later. That’s a nice outcome.

🟢Ennis Rakestraw, CB - Ankle

Projection: In

Rakestraw had a suspected low-ankle sprain in practice on August 20. He then tweaked his left ankle in the final preseason game…

NOTABLES UNLISTED

🔴Cade Mays, C - Right wrist fracture (IR)

It was reported by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press which side Mays’ fracture was on…

Mays snaps with his right hand, so this will be something to watch once he returns. His projected return is around Week 5-7.

🟢Sam LaPorta, TE - Microdiscectomy 2025

I expect LaPorta to get load management days off throughout the season to prevent accumulation trauma on his spine. It’s good news that he registered a full practice on the first report of the season.

Mason Miller, C - Unknown injury

The Lions announced an injury for Miller on September 7. Since Miller is on the practice squad, he does not need to appear on the official injury reports.

Seth McLaughlin, C - Concussion

This backup center had a concussion on August 27 and is presumed to be recovered by now. He is currently on the practice squad and is a candidate to get elevated on Sunday to serve as the backup to starting center, Juice Scruggs.

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NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

🔴Cam Jordan, DE - Hamstring

Head coach Kellen Moore ruled Jordan out already.

🔴Oscar Delp, TE - Hamstring

I had concerns about Delp’s foot fracture in the pre-draft process, but so far, the foot doesn’t seem to be an issue for this rookie. Here was my report on Delp…

🔴Audric Estimé, RB - Thigh

🟡Alvin Kamara, RB - Knee

Kamara had a reported MCL injury on August 18. If it’s mild severity, he has a chance to play vs the Lions. This veteran RB had 131 carries for 471 yards last season.

NOTABLES UNLISTED

🔴Jordyn Tyson (WR) - The Saints’ 1st-round rookie suffered another hamstring injury that landed him on IR. Recall that Tyson had significant hamstring concerns entering the draft…

🔴Brian Bresee (DT) - This starting defensive lineman is out for the year with an ACL suffered in camp.

🔴Dillon Radunz (OL) - This backup offensive lineman is out for the year with an ACL suffered in camp.

Here are some quotes from Dan Campbell’s press conferences on Monday (September 7) and Tuesday (September 8), along with my read-between-the-lines analysis.

Thomas Harper ankle injury recovery

Harper had an ankle injury in practice around August 20. It’s good to hear that the injury was minor and he’ll be ready for Week 1. A simple low-ankle sprain would fit the timeline.

The Lions are starting Chuck Clark and Avonte Maddox at safety, but there isn’t much depth beyond them, with Christian Izien presumed out this week with an unspecified injury and Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph on the reserve/PUP list.

Aidan Hutchinson 2024 tib/fib fracture recovery

When Dan Campbell says it was good news that “it was a bone”, he means that it’s good news there was no joint or cartilage involvement for Hutchinson. Bones generally heal very well and can heal back up to 100% - even with a major bone like the tibia. Joints and cartilage have a far less certain recovery.

Campbell is a bit dismissive of a fibula fracture. I would agree that an isolated fibula fracture - what likely happened last season with Christian Mahogany who returned in seven weeks - is not a big deal.

However, if the fibula fracture is associated with a significant ankle injury - like what happened in 2023 with James Houston who was out for 4 months - then it can be more worrisome long-term than a tib/fib.

I agree with Campbell that the injury to Hutch is well behind him and he is poised for a monster year.

Add Dr. Liao to Google preferred sources

Left guard competition - Christian Mahogany vs Ben Bartch

This was an interesting update on the left guard position. Up until now, I had presumed that Mahogany was pretty secure as the starter. I didn’t expect Bartch to be in contention given his slow recovery from last year’s Lisfranc surgery as well as his recent concussion.

The fact that Bartch is a strong contender to start despite missing much of training camp is either really impressive news for Bartch, or somewhat disappointing news for Mahogany. Long-term, it would be best if Mahogany wins the job as he is three years younger than Bartch, and is signed beyond this season.

Kerby Joseph location update

Given his terse response, Campbell is obviously tired of giving updates regarding Kerby. Though there’s probably not much for Campbell to report anyway.

This latest update suggests that Joseph is back in the facility and doing his rehab. “Ramping up” doesn’t have much meaning here as Joseph has been in this stage for months already. The next big test is whether he can get through a practice without the knee flaring up. Currently, he’s on PUP and can’t open his 21-day practice window until after Game 2.

I’ll have a full rundown with rankings of all the camp and preseason injuries later this week. In the meantime, feel free to visit my Lions Injury Tracker for the updated status of the roster.

Here are my top 3 concerns for the Detroit Lions heading into the 2026 regular season.

#1. Running Back Depth

This offseason, the Lions swapped a very reliable, very productive David Montgomery for an oft-injured, increasingly unproductive Isiah Pacheco - whose unreliability has already manifested itself.

Yes, they got some value in return for the DMo trade and saved some cap money, but now there are serious concerns about the RB depth behind the healthy, 24-year-old Jahmyr Gibbs.

Here were the backup RBs at the 53-man cutdown:

• Isiah Pacheco (27yo) was placed on IR with a back injury before the season even started. He also suffered an MCL sprain during camp. He won’t be back until Week 5 at the earliest.

• Jacob Saylors (26yo) might be the most reliable and healthy RB backup, having only suffered a mild left ankle sprain in preseason.

• Sione Vaki (25yo) suffered a nose fracture, an eye injury, and a back injury during training camp. Last year, he missed six games with hamstring and groin strains. Currently, he is presumed healthy.

• Jabari Small (24yo) made the initial 53-man roster but then was quickly released. He carries major concerns due to his recent and historical concussion history.

If Gibbs can stay healthy like he has in his first three seasons, there is no big problem. However, staying healthy becomes increasingly difficult with a higher percentage of snaps. It will be interesting to see how the RB snap counts are distributed in 2026.

For a refresher of new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s philosophy regarding running back snap counts…

#2. Secondary Age

In the past 12 months, the Lions’ secondary pulled a Rip Van Winkle, going from very young to very old seemingly overnight. Here were the ages of the 2025 starters at the beginning of the season:

• Brian Branch - 23

• Kerby Joseph - 24

• Terrion Arnold - 22

• DJ Reed - 28

• AVERAGE - 24.25

Here are the ages of the 2026 Week 1 starting secondary:

• Chuck Clark - 31

• Avonte Maddox - 30

• DJ Reed - 29

• Rock Ya-Sin - 30

• AVERAGE - 30

The Lions average secondary age increased by a whopping 5.75 years.

Brian Branch’s return at some point this season will help lower the average age. Kerby Joseph is just 25 years old, but may not return due to his left knee. Terrion Arnold was released on bail (and by the Lions) with 8 felony charges.

At least the rest of the Lions team got significantly younger…

#3. Offensive Line Performance

The health concern here is almost exclusively due to the injury to center Cade Mays. The bigger question mark may be with performance, based on how the overall line played last season.

Here is the status recap of the starting offensive line:

• Cade Mays (C, 27yo) had a wrist fracture in training camp and was placed on IR. His earliest possible return is Week 5, October 11. Even after returning, there is some concern for residual weakness with the wrist.

• Penei Sewell (LT, 25yo) was banged up a bit last year with shoulder, knee, and ankle issues, but he’s still young and healthy.

• Christian Mahogany (LG, 25yo) had a fibula fracture last year that is of no residual concern. He was on NFI (unknown reason) for a couple days at the start of 2026 training camp, but that doesn’t seem to be an issue.

• Tate Ratledge (RG, 25yo) played all 17 games as a rookie last year. However, he exhibited occasional signs of a neck issue, which is something to watch this season.

• Blake Miller (RT, 22yo) was one of the most reliable players in college history, and has continued that reliability so far in preseason with the Lions.

As you can see, 4 of the 5 starters are in good health heading into the season.

The offensive line is the engine that powers this entire Lions team. Can this youthful 2026 group overcome the temporary loss of Mays, and reclaim the Lions’ status as one of the best offensive lines in the NFL? If yes, the Detroit Lions should be right back in contention for the Super Bowl.

To revisit the Top 10 concerns heading into the Lions 2025 season along with the outcomes…

Programming note: For those who have read my injury analysis work on Lions Wire the past two seasons, it will only be available here on my Substack for 2026. I appreciate all of you who have already subscribed, paid or free.

Let’s see how it worked out for all these players in 2025, along with their outlook for 2026.

• 🟢Good outcome in 2025 season

• 🟡Ok outcome in 2025 season

• 🔴Bad outcome in 2025 season

🟢#1. Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE

HEALTH CONCERN: Season-ending left tib/fib fracture on October 13, 2024. Would there be any mental and physical limitations for Hutchinson coming off a serious leg fracture?

2025 OUTCOME: While there may have been some mental hurdles early, Hutch had a healthy and productive season in 2025, finishing with 14.5 sacks. He missed zero games on the year and only had a minor left elbow issue to note.

2026 OUTLOOK: The 2026 season should be even stronger for Hutchinson, especially if he can cut back on his snap counts. The addition of a Wolverine running mate in Derrick Moore will help.

🔴#2. Marcus Davenport, EDGE

HEALTH CONCERN: Season-ending left triceps tear on September 22, 2024. Could Davenport stay healthy after missing so much time in recent seasons?

2025 OUTCOME: Davenport had another major injury in 2025 with a right pec/shoulder that kept him out for nine games. He finished with just one sack on the season.

2026 OUTLOOK: Currently, he remains unsigned as a free agent.

🟢#3. Derrick Barnes, LB

HEALTH CONCERN: Season-ending right MCL/PCL on September 22, 2024 with subsequent surgery. Could Barnes recover fully from a significant knee injury?

2025 OUTCOME: Barnes did not miss a game in 2025. However, his production and playmaking were a bit underwhelming.

2026 OUTLOOK: At just 27 years old entering the 2026 season, he could still reach a higher ceiling.

🟢#4. David Montgomery, RB

HEALTH CONCERN: Right MCL on December 15, 2024. This knee injury was initially thought to require surgery, but recovered with just rehab. While DMo was able to return for the playoff game, he didn’t look like himself. Would there be knee residuals?

2025 OUTCOME: Knuckles looked fully back to form - displaying sharp cuts, excellent burst, and power all season. He did not miss a game in 2025. However, his role was reduced causing him to be dissatisfied.

2026 OUTLOOK: Montgomery was traded to the Texans and is looking very healthy heading into the season.

🔴#5. Mekhi Wingo, DT

HEALTH CONCERN: Season-ending right knee meniscus on November 28, 2024. There was a prolonged recovery with this meniscus cartilage injury due to a follow-up knee surgery. Were there residual issues from the cartilage damage?

Read more

• Starter Cade Mays was lost for 2 months or more with a wrist fracture, and is on IR.

• Juice Scruggs had a soft-tissue strain that kept him out for about 2 weeks in camp.

• Seth McLaughlin was recently waived, likely related to a concussion.

• Michael Niese was put on IR with a suspected MCL.

That means an under-the-radar player like Mason Miller becomes increasingly important to the Lions, who signed him after the 2025 draft as an undrafted free agent (UDFA). In 2026, Miller played quite a bit in all preseason games and was “pretty dang clean” as the center in Game 3, according to Dan Campbell.

Here is the injury history and medical report for Mason Miller. For the full roster health overview, visit my Lions Injury Tracker.

Medical concern level ranges from 0 (🟢low) to 5 (🟡moderate) to 10 (🔴high).

(Ages in parentheses are at start of 2026 season and are factored into the concern level. Injury info and ages based on available public information and are unverified - subject to update. Games played data courtesy of gobison.com)

Mason Miller, OG/C (24)

🟢Medical Concern Level: 1/10

• 2024 (North Dakota State): Played 16/16 games.

• 2023: 15/15 games

• 2022: 10 games before season-ending right fibula fracture.

• 2021: 15/15 games

• 2020: 5 games

Miller had a fibula fracture in college, but was otherwise extremely reliable, having not missed a game in three full seasons. The fibula fracture is of very low concern at this point given two full years of proof-of-recovery in college. If the fracture was associated with other injuries like a high ankle sprain (see James Houston), then there would be more residual concern. It’s unknown if that was the case with Miller.

Lions fans saw Christian Mahogany miss only six games for a fibula fracture in 2025, so this is often a relatively minor injury.

Miller’s young age gives him room to grow and potentially become a long-term member of the team. He is currently on the Lions’ practice squad, but could get called up on gamedays to back up interim starter Juice Scruggs.

Did Aaron Donald reincarnate as Skyler Gill-Howard?

This Detroit Lions 6th-round rookie lit up the preseason by consistently wreaking havoc in the backfield. Is it possible he could actually be…?

As expected, SGH made the Lions 53-man roster. Duh, you don’t cut a future 1st-Ballot Hall of Famer.

In desperate efforts to try and keep up with the Lions, the Los Angeles Rams scrambled the very next day to bring back this old dude…

Zonovan “Bam” Knight formally changes name to Bam Knight

August 28, 2026:

The NFL official transactions listed an official name change for former Detroit Lion, “Bam” Knight. I don’t know the NFL rules here. Are players allowed to change their name whenever they want to whatever they want? That opens up a lot of interesting possibilities…

And who can forget the lasting image of the XFL?

Scouting the World Humanoid Robot Games?

The footage of these robots was incredible - the speed, the power, the grit. They would light the NFL Combine on fire (maybe literally).

Judgment Day is indeed approaching fast. (Spoiler alert: We all die.)

However, these robots are not immune to season-ending injuries. Could the athletic upside prove too tempting for Brad Holmes in the next NFL Draft?

Greg Dortch, Double Agent?

Dortch was a surprise release by the Lions, only to sign with the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad.

I do love a good conspiracy theory. Yes, it’s possible Dortch is a double agent. The question is for whom - the Bills or the Lions? Maybe he spent all camp scouting the Lions and is now reporting everything he knows to the Bills. Or maybe the Lions sent him to infiltrate the Bills and secretly report back.

Maybe Dortch doesn’t even know he’s a double agent…

We may get the answer on September 17, Thursday Night Football.

I have no criticism of Holmes for not revealing anything. When it comes to these press conferences, “Anything you say can and will be used against you.”

Holmes will disappear for a while as this is probably the last we hear from him until after the season. Here are some of his quotes with my analysis.

Regarding Isiah Pacheco’s injury

Will Pacheco be back this season?

It’s hard to read Holmes here. So let’s review the facts:

• Pacheco somehow hurt his back in mid-August while not practicing due to a knee MCL injury.

• He was placed on IR, which puts him out until at least October 11.

• This is going to be a 2-month back recovery, and possibly much longer.

Based on the long timeline, there is high concern for a spine injury that could be season-ending. Even if he is able to return, his abilities as a running back could see a big drop-off. Pacheco’s productivity has already seen productivity drop-offs in recent seasons, as I detailed in his free agent medical report…

Here are some unanswered questions about Pacheco:

• How did he hurt his back while not practicing? Weightlifting? Doing something non-football related? Motor vehicle accident?

• Was this a repetitive, accumulation injury (e.g. spondylolysis, disc herniation) or an acute injury (e.g. transverse process fracture, spinous process fracture)?

• Was there a pre-existing back issue that was just discovered?

As I wrote on X, the Lions have had some mysterious back injuries the past two seasons:

Payton Turner’s injury is very curious because Dan Campbell initially said it was nothing serious. We still don’t know anything about Josh Paschal’s mystery back surgery that put him on NFI and caused him to miss all of last year. We learned nothing about LaPorta’s back during the season, but at least we know something about it now…

Maybe someday we’ll get some answers about Payton Turner and Isiah Pacheco, but don’t count on it.

Why the delay to place Pacheco on IR?

This word salad is genius, as it tells us absolutely nothing. There wasn’t an obvious reason to wait to put Pacheco on IR two days after the cutdown. While a setback or further injury during those two days is highly unlikely, it is possible.

Maybe there was some kind of roster management or financial reason for it, but Holmes explained nothing.

Regarding signing players who may be considered injury-prone

Do you consider the injury history of players before acquisition?

Holmes was in no mood to discuss his strategy regarding injury histories. I don’t blame him. He’s said in the past that injury histories are a factor in evaluation, which of course they are. The only question is to what extent.

Injury histories are not a black-and-white issue - every player has a history and it’s always judged on a case-by-case basis. There is a risk/reward with every player - sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t. Luck is also a huge factor.

It’s very likely Holmes has dialed back how much risk he is willing to take. If you review the Lions 2026 draft, all the picks were on the lower end of the medical concern spectrum. Visit my Lions Rookie Medical Report Page for the full analyses.

This offseason in free agency, the Lions favored reliability by jettisoning most of their older, high-risk players…

Contract extensions for Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch?

Almost certainly, those “factors” are the health considerations. Earlier this offseason, Dan Campbell said that the team wanted some proof of health before handing out extensions. Thus, I wouldn’t expect to hear about any extensions until each player has a few games under his belt, and even then, the Lions may decline.

I went in-depth into my concerns with extending LaPorta in this July mailbag…

When will Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph be back?

Branch is certainly coming back from his Achilles at some point. With Joseph, I don’t see how Holmes can truly have any confidence in a return since Joseph hasn’t been able to even get through a practice since last October - 11 months ago.

Now, onto the latest Lions transactions…

Lions waive Seth McLaughlin, C & Jabari Small, RB

Both of these players had recent concussions that likely played a factor in their waivers.

• Seth McLaughlin had a concussion in practice around August 27. For a typical concussion, he should be available in plenty of time for Week 1. It’s possible we see him return to the practice squad.

• I wrote about my major concussion concerns for Jabari Small a couple days ago. Thus, his waiver is not a surprise. It’s possible he could return to the team, but the Lions may be wise to choose a RB with a lower medical concern. A couple options are Trayveon Williams and Raheem Blackshear who both got a lot of preseason carries for the Lions.