Sione Vaki spent the last few months preparing for the grind of the season. The Detroit Lions running back’s body betrayed him last season, stunting his development after groin and hamstring injuries caused him to miss six games.
“Definitely a lot of second-guessing, questioning yourself and God’s plan,” Vaki said last Thursday.
But Vaki was hopeful his setbacks were a thing of the past. He made it a point to take better care of himself by trying to stay hydrated.
“I’m back healthy now,” he said.
Then came Monday. During a team drill in the team’s first padded practice, Vaki went down.
“Got poked in the eye. Broken nose,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday,
Aug. 4.
The incident, Campbell said, was “just one of those freak things.”
“Somehow, hand gets through the facemask,” he explained. “It was unbelievable.”
Campbell didn’t offer a timetable for Vaki return and said, “He’s going out for a little bit here. Vision should be OK in time. We’re not going to have him here today. Just kind of going to let him recover a little bit. So, we think he’ll be OK. He’s just going to need a minute here.”
TE lands on injured reserve with fractured fibula
Four days after Anthony Firkser rejoined the team, the Lions placed the veteran tight end on injured reserve after he fractured his fibula Monday. In a corresponding move, the Lions brought back Zach Horton, the player they waived upon signing Firkser last week.
Horton, a 2025 undrafted free agent, spent last year on Detroit’s practice squad and appeared in two regular-season games after he was twice elevated to the active roster. Meanwhile, wide receiver Lawrence Keys – who left practice Monday – hurt his hamstring. Campbell didn’t say when the former UFL player may be back.
Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him @RainerSabin on X.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions injury updates: 'Freak' moment leaves RB out with broken nose
