Sione Vaki Eye Injury Analysis & Recent NFL Transactions
Is Vaki's eye injury a concern?
With a brief respite after the Detroit Lions first preseason game, here are some interesting tidbits I’ve collected from the past week.
Sione Vaki - Bloodshot eye and black eye
Vaki suffered this injury on August 3 and has yet to resume practice.
Jeff Risdon stated in his August 11 podcast that Tim Twentyman observed: “You don’t see white in the eye, it’s blood. He definitely still has a black eye.”
Vaki likely has a subconjunctival hemorrhage which will cause the white of the eye to be filled with blood. It might look ghastly, but it’s usually very benign. The hemorrhage heals up by itself within 2-3 weeks with no threat to vision.
A doctor evaluation is still recommended as in rare cases, a subconjunctival hemorrhage can be a sign of a more serious injury like an eye globe rupture requiring urgent surgery. Vaki certainly has had an ophthalmologist evaluation to rule out any serious eye issue.
Here are examples of what a subconjunctival hemorrhage looks like. (Not Vaki’s actual eye.)
Vaki also likely has some corneal abrasions which usually heal quickly within a few days. A foreign body lodged in the eye cornea is a possibility also, and those are usually easily removed - a procedure I’ve performed many times on patients.
The black eye itself is not a concern as it’s likely the result of the nasal fracture. Blood from the fracture pools into the eye sockets. This blood will resolve spontaneously just like with the subconjunctival hemorrhage.
Projected return: I expect Vaki to return to non-contact practices within the next week.
INTERESTING NFL TRANSACTIONS
Here are some under-the-radar transactions from around the NFL that may be of interest to Lions’ fans.
August 13, 2026: David Long released with injury settlement
Michigan fans may remember Long who ended up being a 3rd-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft. His career hasn’t been as successful as hoped as he has only started 12 of 80 games in the NFL.
August 12, 2026: Laken Tomlinson tryout with the Browns
Former Detroit Lions 1st-round pick in 2015 is still out there grinding away as he enters his 12th NFL season. He’s 34 years old and is clearly not ready to hang it up yet. During his career, he’s started an impressive 162 of 173 games.
Tomlinson only played 2 years with the Lions before being traded away. While he may have been a bust from a Lions standpoint, he is certainly not an NFL bust. For a player picked 28th overall, he’s had an excellent career. Too bad it wasn’t with the team that drafted him.
August 11, 2026: Miles Kitselman waived with injury settlement
This Lions’ UDFA rookie had an unspecified leg injury and was placed on IR. By waiving him off IR, he is eligible to return to the Lions later this season. Keep an eye on Kitselman if the Lions TE room suffers any injuries.
August 10, 2026: Jermar Jefferson tryout with the Vikings
This 2021 Detroit Lions 7th-round pick got a tryout with the Vikings and impressed enough to be signed a couple days later.
In his career, Jermar has had just 21 rushes for 96 yards, but for a 7th-rounder to still be in the league 5 years later is a quality accomplishment.