11 Lions that should rest for the season finale
Time to look forward to 2026
While the thought of losing to the Bears in the finale pleases no one, it’s good to be reminded of the old adage:
“Discretion is the better part of valor.”
With the outcome of the season finale vs the Bears meaningless (except for securing a worse draft slot), the Lions should strongly consider treating it like a preseason game and protect key players. Even if the player suits up (there may be player financial incentives to do so), snap counts could be easily reduced.
There is no moral victory to be had this year - unlike the final regular season game 3 years ago in Lambeau when the rising Lions sent Aaron Rodgers and the Packers packing. This year, nobody will remember or care about a win over the Bears a month from now, much less next season.
The Bears may also be in injury protection mode after losing their ability to get the number #1 seed by losing a thriller to the 49ers on Sunday night. They are locked into either the #2 or #3 seed and the difference is probably not worth an injury risk. This sets up a game in which both team’s primary objective may be to just get out healthy.
Here are Lion players who should rest, with health reasons why:
#1 Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR
The state of ARSB’s knees has been a simmering issue over the past 2 seasons. In 2024 (despite not missing a game), both knees took minor injuries on video.
Week 17, 2024
Week 12, 2024
Week 7, 2024
These knee injuries were not overly concerning at the time, but became more relevant with news of offseason knee surgery - a suspected scope cleanup which is often for cartilage damage.
In 2025, he has also not missed a game and has been mostly healthy. A right low ankle sprain suffered in Week 13 is no concern going forward.
What is a concern going forward is a recent unspecified knee issue which popped up on the practice reports last week before the Vikings game. Dan Campbell described it as an “irritation”.
St. Brown then visibly hurt or aggravated his right knee in the game vs the Vikings.
CONCERN: The concern is he might have aggravated some cartilage issues in his knee these past couple weeks. With cartilage damage to the knee, it’s smart to avoid unnecessary load on the knee to preserve long-term health (see Kerby Joseph analysis).
Even if it’s just a simple sprain with no cartilage impact, resting him for the finale makes sense to give it a chance to heal properly and avoid a compensation injury.
#2 Jared Goff, QB
Goff has had an impressive season both in performance and health. This despite getting pounded all year behind an inexperienced, inconsistent offensive line - a line that now includes a Penei Sewell ankle injury.
This play sums up Goff’s season:
As does this one:
Somehow, Goff hasn’t missed a game all year and has suffered no significant injuries. Maybe his most painful injury was getting stepped on 2 weeks ago which could have caused a minor ankle sprain. This injury is benign with no long-term concerns.
CONCERN: If you keep playing Russian roulette, eventually you’ll eat a bullet. The odds of that bullet dramatically increase if Sewell and/or Decker sit out the finale. Goff has been lucky so far, but no reason to risk the most important and irreplaceable player on the team.
#3 Penei Sewell, OT
Sewell hasn’t missed a game all year but his left ankle has been injured multiple times this season.
Week 10
Week 17
This recent ankle injury could be a high or medial ankle sprain. He finished out the last game with his left ankle spatted.
He also may have been managing a shoulder issue for part of the season:
Week 9
Resting Sewell would also give Giovanni Manu a chance to show what he can do at RT. The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come might include a vision of Sewell at LT and Manu at RT.
CONCERN: This warrior has played through a few issues this season including a current left ankle sprain. Time for him to heal up.
#4 Taylor Decker, OT
Decker missed the last game due to an illness, but the main issue is a right shoulder issue that has been ongoing since last season. He had offseason shoulder surgery, but the shoulder has still bothered him all of 2025. While he only missed 2 games this season due to the shoulder, he has hardly been able to practice all year.
Whether Decker should play in the finale depends a lot on his plans for next year. If he’s planning to retire, then he should be welcome to finish out his career on the field. If he’s planning to play next season, there is no reason to continue to aggravate that shoulder.
CONCERN: The right shoulder has bothered him for 2 seasons and could be something that affects him for next season as well.
#5 Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE
Thankfully, Hutchinson has been healthy all year after his tib/fib fracture last season. He has managed to stay healthy despite an excessively high, snap count percentage which is usually in the mid-90’s. After a brief 2-game drop in snap counts (79%, 82%), he was back up to 96% last game.
Before the season, I advocated for lowering his snap counts for health and productivity reasons, and I have not changed my stance.
CONCERN: While Hutchinson doesn’t have any active health concerns, he is in the top 4 (Goff, St. Brown, Sewell) of irreplaceable players on this team. If he plays, a snap count anywhere close to 90% in a meaningless game doesn’t seem wise.
#6 Alim McNeill, DT
McNeill made a nice recovery from his 2024 ACL by returning to play in just over 10 months. While his performance this season was not as impactful as his usual standards, that’s pretty typical in the first year back from an ACL. He should be noticeably more productive in 2026.
In the past 2 weeks, he has had an unspecified abdomen injury. This injury was aggravated early last game which limited him to just 14 defensive snaps.
CONCERN: He is still recovering from his ACL and now has an abdomen injury. No reason to push it here.
#7 DJ Reed, CB
Reed was the prized offseason acquisition and is signed through the 2027 season. He missed 2 months this year due to a pretty severe left hamstring strain.
While he has played the last 6 games, he doesn’t appear to be quite fully back to pre-injury form.
CONCERN: While there is minimal concern for an aggravation of his hamstring at this point, why take any chances?
Others that should rest due to their proven long-term value to the team
#8 Jahmyr Gibbs and #9 David Montgomery have been remarkably healthy this season with neither missing a game. With the amount of pounding that a RB takes, it’s a testament to their durability and ability to avoid injury. Both have a long-term future with the team as Montgomery is signed through 2027 and Gibbs is expected to land a big extension this offseason.
#10 Jameson Williams has been extremely reliable since recovering from his ACL suffered in college. The only games missed in the past 2 seasons have been due to a 2-game PES (performance enhancing substance) suspension. This past offseason, he was extended through the 2029 season making him a key long-term player.
#11 Jack Campbell had a nasty lip laceration, but was otherwise pretty healthy this season in playing every game. He made the Pro Bowl and may get a long-term extension this offseason.