The Detroit Lions suffered their first injury of the 2021 season on just the second day of offseason activities. Defensive tackle Joel Heath suffered a torn ACL in the noncontact drills at the team facilities in Allen Park.
Heath, who signed with the team as a future/reserve free agent this offseason, will miss the season, per a report from NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. The former Michigan State standout was hoping to make a return to the field in 2021 after opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns. Heath had starting experience at nose tackle from his seasons with the Houston Texans.
Heath’s injury is sure to stoke the fires of the NFLPA, which strongly urged players to not attend OTAs out of fear of injuries. The Lions players initially stated they would opt out, but the veterans showed up en masse this week for the noncontact drills and coaching.
