Dan Campbell Day 2 Camp Update: Manu NFI & Turner Injury

It's looking bleak for the Lion's former 4th-round pick

While not as blockbuster of a press conference as Dan Campbell’s training camp opener, there was a big revelation on Day 2 involving Giovanni Manu. Here is the read-between-the-lines analysis of Campbell’s words.

Giovanni Manu placed on NFI list

He had a previous injury over the summer that was not disclosed. Came off the practice field, didn’t feel good, got it checked, sure enough that’s what it was.

He will be out… call it 12-14 weeks, I don’t know.

Well, this wasn’t good news for the Lions’ 2024 4th-round pick. Reading-between-the-lines here suggests that Manu did not disclose a major injury to the Lions. The Lions would not have sent him out to practice with knowledge of a significant injury. He would have been evaluated and placed on NFI prior to the start of camp.

Typically, players need to be placed on PUP/NFI prior to starting training camp practices. Manu actually practiced before being put on NFI. An exception may have been made here if the player did not disclose the injury to the team.

Was Manu trying to hide an injury? Did he get hurt doing something reckless or unapproved? The Lions certainly were asking these questions. The placement on NFI instead of PUP means he was hurt outside of football or football-preparation activities.

The key financial difference between PUP and NFI is that the team can choose not to pay a player’s salary while on NFI. If the Lions are not happy with how this situation played out, I expect them not to pay his salary. This should save a small amount of salary cap space for the team. Manu’s base salary this year is $1.075M.

What are the possibilities of Manu’s injury?

Nothing about Manu’s injury was disclosed except for the 12-14 week timeline. We don’t even know the body part. We do know he was able to get out onto the practice field for a little bit. The possibilities are almost endless, but we can rule out an ACL/Achilles or other very long-term injury.

With this kind of timeline, an impeding surgery becomes a possibility. Some kind of upper limb injury like a biceps, triceps, or elbow are possible. A significant pec strain (Ahmed Hassanein) or hamstring (DJ Reed) can have this kind of timeline. A severe turf toe (Joe Burrow) could do it.

What is the future for Manu and the Lions?

Manu’s play hasn’t panned out after 2 seasons. He had a major knee injury last year that cost him 2+ months. Now, he has another injury that will keep him out 3+ months. He might not be available until November, and might not even be good enough to bring back anyway. Add in a possible loss of trust and it’s easy to foresee the possibility that we won’t see him in a Lions uniform again.

Payton Turner Back Injury

Payton Turner is probably going to sit out today, he’s got a bit of a stiff back. We don’t think that will be anything serious.

Turner had a chart-topping 10/10 medical concern level when he signed with the Lions this offseason. He has missed major portions of most of his NFL career, including all of the 2025 season. See my Payton Turner Medical Report for full details.

It was reassuring to see Turner healthy and participating throughout OTA and minicamp. Getting hurt on Day 1 of training camp isn’t a great start, but Campbell stated the injury was minor. Hopefully, this is a benign back strain/spasm and he’ll be fine shortly.

The over/under for number of Turner snaps this season might indeed be 3. The team has made a concerted effort this offseason to get younger, healthier, and more reliable. If the Lions decide they can’t count on his health, Turner won’t make the 53-man roster.

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For the data on how the Lions got healthier this offseason…