The Detroit Lions made several roster moves on Saturday morning, but there was none more notable than placing All-Pro linebacker Jack Campbell on injured reserve.
The Lions’ defense captain suffered a serious neck injury during last week’s game against the Minnesota Vikings. Campbell was transferred to a nearby hospital and offered the following update on his condition Wednesday via an official statement.
“I have full movement in my lower body, and I’m continuing to make progress with movement in my upper
body,” Campbell said. “I know there’s still work ahead, but I remain very optimistic. I’m taking things one day at a time, staying positive, and focusing on getting better.”
Since then, Lions coach Dan Campbell has said Campbell continues to improve.
At this point, it’s unclear what Campbell’s injury means for the rest of the season or his career, but his placement on injured reserve guarantees he must miss the next four games. The first game he’d be eligible to return is Week 13 vs. the Atlanta Falcons on December 6.
In Campbell’s place, the Lions are expected to start Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, and Trevor Nowaske at linebacker vs. the Miami Dolphins. Detroit will also have Joe Bachie, K.J. Britt, and Amen Ogbongbemiga available among their reserves.
To take Campbell’s spot on the 53-man roster, the Lions signed cornerback Nick Whiteside from the practice squad. Whiteside made a strong impression during training camp, even earning some reps with the first-team defense during early practices. Now, with top cornerback D.J. Reed out this week with a hip injury, Whiteside has an opportunity to be part of the Lions’ cornerback rotation, which will likely include Roger McCreary, Ennis Rakestraw, Rock Ya-Sin, and Khalil Dorsey.
In addition to those two moves, the Lions also elevated defensive end Anthony Lucas and running back Jabari Small from the practice squad. We’ll have more information on those moves in a separate news article.
