A few days after the Detroit Lions upset the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving, head coach Dan Campbell spoke with the media on Saturday and provided injury reports on numerous players.
Campbell stated that linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez tore his ACL and is done for the season. However, he is not the only defender who has been sidelined for the season; rookie defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo requires surgery and will be out until 2024.
“I hate it for Malcolm… he was playing so good for us… we hate to lose him,” Campbell said of Rodriguez, according to Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News.
The good news is that defensive linemen Josh Paschal and Levi Onwuzurike are both day-to-day, but Campbell is not bullish about their chances of facing the Green Bay Packers in Week 13.
“(Josh) Paschal has a better shot than Levi (Onwuzurike),” Campbell said.
Campbell believes Emmanuel Moseley will be ready to face the Packers at cornerback, while Carlton Davis is classified day-to-day and questionable for the divisional battle.
Of course, the possibility that Davis, Onwuzurike, and Paschal may not play against the Packers is not ideal, but given the Lions’ history of serious injuries this season, day-to-day labels are encouraging.
Following the losses to the defensive linemen and Rodriguez, the Lions signed linebacker Kwon Alexander and defensive lineman Jonah Williams off the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams practice squads, respectively.
Williams provides some inside/outside versatility, while Alexander adds an experienced presence to the Lions’ linebacker corps. Detroit is expected to use Ben Niemann and David Long to help cover the vacuum caused by the recent linebacker losses.
Unfortunately, despite the fact that the Lions just played on Thursday, they will not have extra rest before their game versus the Packers, which also takes place on Thursday.