Lions, Bucs injury designations: 3 defenders ruled OUT

SB Nation

The Detroit Lions (4-2) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1) have declared their injury designations ahead of their NFC battle on “Monday Night Football.”

Let’s take a look at the latest injury report and get

you up to date with what we know. Note: Any changes from the last injury report will be bolded.

Ruled OUT

RB Sione Vaki (groin)
CB Terrion Arnold (shoulder)
DB Avonte Maddox (hamstring)
S Kerby Joseph (knee)

Vaki will miss his fourth game in a row and his sixth on the season. It’s been a tough start to his second NFL season, but if he recovers and returns after the bye, he’ll have a chance to turn things around in the back half of the year.

Arnold returned to practice on Friday as the Lions wanted to test his range in individual drills, and while he’s still not ready to play in a game just yet, he will have a chance to return after the bye.

“I don’t see him (playing) Monday,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said at his Saturday press conference. “That (Friday practice) was just getting him out there moving around in individual. He’s still got a little bit to go here to make sure that he’s ready—or can be ready to produce and protect himself. So, he’s improving, that’s a positive sign.”

Maddox has been working off to the side with trainers this week, but like Arnold, he is also not quite ready to return to play. If he continues to progress forward as expected, he’ll also have a chance to return following the bye.

Joseph has been clearly fighting through his knee pain, and while Campbell insists that the All-Pro safety is feeling better, they clearly decided an extra week of rest is best for the long-term viability of his season.

“I know he’s doing a lot better. We just want to be smart with it and see where he’s at. But he is feeling better. He’s getting better—but I don’t see him practicing today,” Campbell said on Saturday, later adding, “Time can help (heal his injury). So we’ll see, but look, there’s a lot of guys that are dealing with a lot of things (injuries) and you can’t lose every guy. So, you just have to gauge where some of them are at (because) some are worse than others. He’s dealing with something, and it’s affecting him right now, so we’ve just got to get it to calm down, to help him.”

With Brian Branch out due to a suspension, that leaves the Lions without their two starting outside cornerbacks and their two starting safeties.

Questionable

LT Taylor Decker (shoulder)
DT Alim McNeill (ACL — Still on PUP) — Days remaining on clock: 3
DT DJ Reader (back)

Decker had been playing through a shoulder injury, but the Lions opted to rest him for the last two games to allow his body to properly heal and prepare him for the remainder of the season. Decker returned to practice this week and is trending in the right direction towards starting on Monday.

“He’s trending the right way,” Campbell said of Decker potentially returning this week. “he practiced yesterday and looked good, but I’m not going to practice him today. But, he is going to move around and do some things with (Director of player health and performance, Jeff Fischer) Fisch and them, but he’s trending that way.”

McNeill returned to practice three weeks ago and has positioned himself to be removed from PUP, added to the active roster, and play in this game. He’ll likely have a limited 20-25 snap count and only play in specific situations, but this should give a massive boost to the defensive line.

Reader missed the first practice of the week, but has since returned to practice, telling the media that he just needed a day off because he’s “old.” He’s expected to start at the nose in this game.

Not listed with an injury designation

LB Zach Cunningham (hamstring)

Cunningham missed three games with his hamstring injury, but has practiced all week in full and is ready to return to game action. His presence will give the Lions ‘ goal-line defense and special teams a nice boost.