Dan Campbell had a press conference yesterday on August 20, 2026 with some Detroit Lions injury updates, and playing time considerations for key players. Let’s get right to it with some of his quotes, along with my read-between-the-lines analysis. After that, I’ll review Ennis Rakestraw’s practice injury and recent interesting NFL transactions.
🔴Bad news or high concern
🟡Uncertain or moderately concerning
🟢Good news or low concern
🟡Sam LaPorta hip injury
He got hit in the hip and it flared up a little bit. We feel good long-term about him.
We’re resting and letting it calm down. I feel like we’ll be ok [for Week 1] but I don’t know.
Getting hit in the hip could cause a hip pointer, which is a direct-blow contusion to the iliac crest or greater trochanter of the femur.
The hip pointer resolves by itself and is usually a short-term issue depending on severity. It can certainly be very painful though…
A worse-case scenario would be if there is hip joint involvement. In rare cases, there could be an avulsion fracture associated with a hip pointer, but that doesn’t appear to be the case here.
Projected RTP: About 2 weeks.
🟢Jared Goff not playing in preseason Game 2
Goff’s not playing. We’ll start Dobbs.
I expected Goff to play given how aggressively Campbell had been talking in the days leading up to this game. It looks like cooler heads prevailed and the Lions will not take any chances with Goff. I 100% agree with this decision.
With Goff out, it doesn’t make any sense to play the other high-priced stars - Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Jameson Williams. Maybe there is a tiny bit of value to have Sewell out there with the other offensive line starters, but I wouldn’t risk it.
Do not expect any starters to play in preseason Game 3 since it is only 2 weeks removed from the opener - not enough time to recover from minor injuries.
🟡Jimmy Rolder hamstring strain recovery
Probably unlikely to see him next week.
There was recent talk (from Rolder himself) of possibly returning to practice next week, but Campbell put a damper on that. With the other LB’s healthy, there is really no reason to push a 4th-round rookie.
Projected RTP: Let Rolder have a slow, gradual ramp-up with a target return of late September or early October.
🟢Will Aidan Hutchinson’s snap count decrease in 2026?
We’d like to be able to do that. It’s hard to take him off the field because he does so much for us.
If we can take some off of him, it’s only going to help not just now but long-term.
It’s great to hear Campbell acknowledge the high snap count issue for Hutch. He’s been at 91% the past 2 seasons, and I’d like to see him around 75-80%. Here was my full analysis from July with elite peer comps…
🟢Juice Scruggs soft tissue strain recovery
I see Juice playing this game.
This is good news for the center competition with Seth McLoughlin. Hopefully, both can become viable stopgap starters until Cade Mays returns.
🔴Ben Bartch
He’s in concussion protocol. He got dinged a couple days ago.
That window is closing quickly.
Campbell sounded resigned when discussing Bartch - not the first time this camp either. Not only has Bartch had problems with his Lisfranc recovery, but now he’s out with a concussion. The continued health issues mean that Bartch may not make the 53-man roster. The Lions clearly had some hope for him as they gave him $300K guaranteed to sign this offseason.
The Lions need reliable players, and Bartch isn’t it.
🟡Ennis Rakestraw leg injury in practice
There were various media reports of a non-contact, lower leg injury for Rakestraw, where he went down but was able to walk back to the facility.
Lower leg would typically mean calf and beyond. Possible diagnoses include calf strain, Achilles strain/rupture, low ankle sprain, and foot/toe sprain - all of which can be non-contact in mechanism.
A high-ankle sprain would be extremely unlikely as that’s almost always a contact injury. A benign contusion like his recent arm contusion is also unlikely, unless he somehow kicked himself.
I agree that walking off is a good sign as it rules out some serious injuries. However, it doesn’t necessarily rule out an Achilles rupture. We saw Brian Branch hobble to the bench with his Achilles last season. Players can refuse a cart for toughness or denial reasons.
Recent Interesting NFL Transactions
August 20, 2026: Laken Tomlinson tryout with Lions
A week after trying out with the Browns, the 34-year-old Tomlinson is giving it a shot with the team that drafted him in the 1st round. This could mean bad news for Ben Bartch.
August 19, 2026: Loren Strickland waived from IR
We still don’t know the diagnosis of Strickland’s left leg injury. Being waived gives him a chance to return to the Lions later in the season.
August 18: Aidan Keanaaina waived from IR
This Lions UDFA rookie was given $267,500 guaranteed to sign, so the Lions had some expectations for him. Keanaaina’s injury and severity are unknown, but being waived allows him to return to the team later this season.
August 18, 2026: Chase Lucas released
The Lions 2022 7th-round pick, Chase Lucas is now a free agent. He played an impressive 16 games with the 49ers last year. Currently, he is 29-years-old.
August 16, 2026: Craig Reynolds tryout with the Commanders
Reynolds tryout went well as he ended up signing with Washington. He’ll always be remembered by Lions’ fans for this legendary block…
Non-contact injuries always make me nervous. Rake's been through it, I really hope this isn't an Achilles injury.