Cedar Point is attempting to secure the rights to the roller coaster ride that Terrion Arnold’s shoulder injury has delivered in Ohio over the past two weeks. Here’s the bad news / good news recap:
- BAD September 28 vs Browns: Injured right shoulder and exited the game.
- GOOD October 1: Limited practice was an excellent sign that the injury was minor.
- GREAT October 2, 3: Full practices both days confirmed that he was going to be just fine.
- BAD October 5 vs Bengals: Re-injured right shoulder and exited the game.
- WORSE October 6: Dan Campbell stated “He’s going to be out for a long time. Don’t know if [out for season].”
- TERRIBLE October 7, early: Tom Pelissero reports that it is “likely a season-ending injury.”
- PRETTY GOOD October 7, late: A second opinion has him returning as soon as later this month – as reported by Adam Schefter. He may even avoid IR.
- STILL PRETTY GOOD October 8: Dan Campbell stated “There’s a second opinion that came in. Let’s see if we can strengthen a little bit, get a little bit of the inflammation out. I don’t know how long that’s going to be… I still kind of go back to he may be out a while…. The second opinion came back and it sounds like it could be promising, but that’s no guarantee either.”
If you got whiplash from all those twists and turns, you’re not alone. Speaking of neck pain, Kalif Raymond appears to have received good news on his neck and spine this week after a scary injury last game. Overall, it’s a pretty favorable outcome for both Arnold and Raymond.
Here is the initial injury report for the Lions which includes surprise listings of Amon-Ra St. Brown (wrist) and Brian Branch (ankle).
Lions injured starters:
- Definitely out: DJ Reed, CB
- Definitely out: Marcus Davenport, EDGE
- Almost certainly out: Terrion Arnold, CB
- Possibly out: Taylor Decker, LT
- Likely in: Kerby Joseph, S
- Likely in: Alim McNeill, DT
- Likely in: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR
- Likely in: Brian Branch, S
(NP – no practice, LP – limited practice, FP – full practice)
DETROIT LIONS
NP – Kalif Raymond, WR (neck)
Raymond’s injury mechanism was concerning for the cervical spine. Fortunately, based on comments by St. Brown, it can be assumed that imaging tests ruled out any significant spinal issue such as cervical stenosis or a herniated disc.
If this is just a simple neck sprain, Raymond could be back as soon as this week. He was seen “working with trainers and sprinting” per Jeremy Reisman, which is an excellent sign.
NP – Terrion Arnold, CB (right shoulder) starter
Arnold is almost certainly out for this game, but hopefully we see him start practicing in the next couple weeks or so. There is no word of a diagnosis yet.
NP – Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR (wrist) starter
I reviewed all his plays again and didn’t see any obvious injury to the wrist. He did fidget with his gloves multiple times in the game, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Late in the game during the onside kick, he stuck his right hand in a pile and something could have happened in there. He missed the following 3-and-out drive, but was back to field the post-safety punt.
In the previous week vs the Browns, he may have injured his left hand/wrist when he put his hand on the ground to brace himself. He was seen later that week on his podcast with swelling of his thumb thenar eminence.
At this point, there are no worrisome signs, and I expect to see him improve his status over the week.
NP – Taylor Decker, OT (shoulder) starter
Dan Skipper was elevated from practice squad today which is an early sign that Decker is poised to miss his second straight game. Giovanni Manu struggled last game in his first ever start. Last year, Skipper performed admirably in three starts in place of Decker.
NP – Kerby Joseph, S (left knee) starter
The NP is no surprise since Joseph has been dealing with his left knee since early training camp. He also hurt his left knee two weeks ago and played with a left knee brace in the last game. The diagnosis is uncertain, but a PCL injury is a possibility based on video.
He played 100% of snaps last game, and I would expect him to continue battling through this injury vs the Chiefs.
NP – Sione Vaki, RB (groin)
NP – Zach Cunningham, LB (hamstring)
Unless there is rapid progress this week, Vaki and Cunningham will miss their third straight games.
LP – Brian Branch, S (ankle) starter
Branch played 98% of snaps last game. He left briefly due to a suspected mild lower leg contusion which was nowhere near the ankle. I didn’t see any ankle issue during the game. The LP is a reassuring sign that he will ready on Sunday.
FP – Alim McNeill, DT (ACL) starter
The FP is an excellent upgrade after LP’s all last week. There is good possibility he plays on Sunday night.
Notables unlisted
- Dan Skipper had a left low ankle sprain in a preseason game, and a possible right knee issue in early regular season practices. Good to see he is healthy now.
- Khalil Dorsey was placed on IR today after a wrist injury popped up on the injury report last Friday. It’s interesting that he was not placed on IR prior to the Bengals game which could mean he was still in the process of evaluation.
- Mekhi Wingo has been inactive in the past 3 games which is a surprise after getting a lot of snaps in his first game back. On Wednesday, Dan Campbell offered this explanation: “We got pretty good depth in that room right now…. You can earn your right to get back up just by the way you practice.”
PUP/NFI – Can start 21 day practice window anytime
- Malcolm Rodriguez, LB (ACL) – His ACL tear was 2 weeks earlier than McNeill’s, so he could be ready to practice at any time. Expect November game action.
- Miles Frazier, OG (knee) – On September 29, Dan Campbell stated: “He’s progressing, not as fast as we’d hoped…. It’s not as clear as Mahogany was last year.” Last season, Mahogany (mono) had his window open on October 8 and saw his first action on November 24. That means November might be best-case scenario for Frazier.
- Josh Paschal, EDGE (unspecified cleanup surgery) – On October 1, Dan Campbell gave this lukewarm update: “He’s improving, but he’s not ready yet.” Maybe we’ll see him in November.
IR (injured reserve) – eligible to return this season
(Rules recap: There is no limit to the number of players that can be placed on IR. Must stay on IR for minimum 4 games. Only 8 are allowed to return during regular season plus bonus 2 for the playoffs. Last season, Lions used 7 returns during regular season and 1 during playoffs.)
Eligible return dates:
- Week 6 vs Chiefs (current)
- Week 7 vs Bucs (Oct 20):Â Marcus Davenport, Shane Zylstra
- Week 8 (bye)
- Week 9 vs Vikings (Nov 2):Â Daniel Thomas
- Week 10 vs Commanders (Nov 9):Â DJ Reed
- Week 11 vs Eagles (Nov 16): Khalil Dorsey
IR Returns: None so far
IR players:
- Khalil Dorsey, CB (wrist, Oct 3) – There are no details on this injury.
- DJ Reed, CB (hamstring, Sep 28) – Expect him back around Week 10 which will be 6 weeks post-injury.
- Daniel Thomas, S (forearm fracture, Sep 22) – The fracture recovery will likely take around 2 months. Expect him back around Week 12.
- Marcus Davenport, EDGE (right pec strain, Sep 14) – A pec strain can be ready in 1-2 months, so expect a return around Week 7-10.
- Shane Zylstra, TE (suspected right high ankle sprain, Sep 14) – Video suggested a high ankle sprain which can take around 1-2 months – longer if there is a fracture. Hope for a November return around Week 10.
- Jamarco Jones, OT (ankle, Sep 4) – Eligible to return anytime, but was ruled out for season.
- Ezekiel Turner, LB (Achilles, Aug 23) – Eligible to return anytime but suspected to not be returning. Note: there is uncertainty whether Turner was actually designated eligible to return on the cutdown date.
IR – NOT eligible to return this season (key players listed)
- Ennis Rakestraw, CB (shoulder)
- Levi Onwuzurike, DT (ACL)
- Kenny Yeboah, TE (unspecified)
- Colby Sorsdal, OG (leg)
- Justin Herron, OT (arm)
- Dan Jackson, S (leg)
OTHER
- Ahmed Hassanein, EDGE (right pec strain 8/16) – This 6th-round rookie was waived with an injury settlement before the season. The Lions can sign him 3 weeks after the duration of the settlement – that date of which is unknown. A mild pec strain could be ready in about 1 month, which means he could be physically ready now. Hope to see him sign back with the team in October.
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KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
All players had FP’s today which means the entire active roster should be available for Sunday night.
- Xavier Worthy, WR (ankle): Worthy has had a rough year. In Week 1, he suffered a right shoulder dislocation when Taylor Swift’s fiancĂ© ran into him. He returned in Week 4 only to hurt his ankle. He aggravated the ankle in Week 5, but it looks like he’s going to be fine.Â
- Jeffrey Bassa, LB
- Nick Bolton, LB
- Kristian Fulton, CB
- Marquise Brown, WR
- Kareem Hunt, RB
- Patrick Mahomes, QB
- Omarr Norman-Lott, DT
- Charles Omenihu, DE
- JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR
- Jawaan Taylor, OT