The Detroit Lions (3-4) were back on the practice field again on Thursday as they prepare for their Wek 9 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings (2-5). Two starters on the offensive line returned to practice, while another starting offensive lineman was downgraded to a non-participant status. Two steps forward and one step back.
Here’s a look at the Lions’ injury report, with the updated changes in injury status listed in bold.
IR/PUP/Reserve-COVID-19
- QB Matthew Stafford (Reserve/COVID-19) must be medically cleared but he still has a chance to play on Sunday.
- LB Jarrad Davis (Reserve/COVID-19) must be medically cleared
- EDGE Austin Bryant (PUP) began practicing two weeks ago
- TE Hunter Bryant (IR) is eligible to return at any time
- JACK Julian Okwara (IR) is eligible to return after Week 9
- EDGE Trey Flowers (IR) is eligible to return after Week 11
No Practice
| Player | Injury | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Designation |
| Kenny Golladay | Hip | No Practice | No Practice | ||
| Jamal Agnew | Ribs | No Practice | No Practice | ||
| Joe Dahl | Back | Limited Practice | No Practice | ||
| Tracy Walker | Foot | No Practice | No Practice |
Golladay is expected to miss this week’s game, but if they are also missing Agnew, that leaves only four healthy wide receivers. Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola are locked in as starters, but it’s unclear if the team will turn back to Marvin Hall or Quintez Cephus to replace Golladay — or maybe a combination of the two.
Walker missing a second practice in a row is discouraging. If he is not able to play, expect more playing time for Jayron Kearse and Will Harris to get back into the mix.
Dahl wasn’t noticeably injured in the last week’s game, then was limited on Wednesday and downgraded to no practice on Thursday, suggesting this may be a recent injury and could threaten his availability for Sunday.
Limited Practice
| Player | Injury | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Designation |
| Taylor Decker | Back | No Practice | Limited Practice | ||
| Hal Vaitai | Foot | No Practice | Limited Practice | ||
| Danny Shelton | Wrist | Limited Practice | Limited Practice | ||
| Christian Jones | Knee | Limited Practice | Limited Practice | ||
| Desmond Trufant | Hamstring | Limited Practice | Limited Practice | ||
| Darryl Roberts | Hip/Groin | Limited Practice | Limited Practice |
Decker and Vaitai returned to practice today, and if they are able to play, but Dahl is not, it sets up the Lions to return to their previous offensive line structure — where they found success in Week 6 and 7:
| Left tackle | Left guard | Center | Right guard | Right tackle |
| Taylor Decker | Jonah Jackson | Frank Ragnow | Hal Vaitai | Tyrell Crosby |
Shelton and Jones getting in back-to-back limited practices is a good sign for their availability on Sunday. Friday’s participation will be the deciding factor, but things are looking good right now.
Trufant is finally stringing together several limited practices and could be ready to return to action this week if the trend continues. If he does return, it’s unclear if he will jump back into a starting role, meaning the Lions will rotate Amani Oruwariye and Jeff Okudah again or is Trufant will be part of a rotation as he re-acclimates to game action.
Roberts has been relegated to a reserve role now that Justin Coleman is healthy, but the Lions could still use his depth on the roster.
Full Practice
| Player | Injury | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Designation |
| T.J. Hockenson | Toe | Limited Practice | Full Practice |
Hockenson being upgraded to full practice is terrific news for the Lions as he may the team’s top and most consistent receiving option with Golladay likely out.
Vikings Report
Thursday's #Vikings injury report pic.twitter.com/fNvGb9Etak
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 5, 2020
