Pride of Detroit
The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers returned to the practice field on Thursday as they prepare for their Week 1 matchup this Sunday afternoon. The Lions still have two players not practicing, but they were able to return their rookie third-round wide receiver, Isaac TeSlaa, as he appears to be moving past his illness.
Let’s take a look at Thursday’s injury report and get you up to date with what we know.
Note: Any changes from the Lions’ previous injury report will be bolded.
Vaki and Nowaske missed practice on Tuesday, were estimated not to have been able to practice on Wednesday, and were still not on the practice field on Thursday. They’ll still have Friday’s practice to potentially help them get ready for the season opener, but at this time, it’s not looking good for either’s chances to play. Vaki’s injury has been lingering for a month now, and likely still needs rest and rehabilitation, while Nowaske’s injury is new and not as much is known.
TeSlaa has been dealing with “a little bug,” according to Lions coach Dan Campbell, and while it kept him out of practice on Tuesday, he was estimated to have been able to practice in a limited capacity on Wednesday, had the Lions held a practice. An official return to practice in any capacity is good news for the Lions rookie, as he is expected to have a role on offense and special teams in Week 1.
“Yeah, I think TeSlaa did a great job in training camp, here in practice, and he made plays,” Lions offensive coordinator John Morton said on Thursday. “He got better every single day, carried over to the game, we thought he did an unbelievable job. He’s a smart kid, he’s tough, there are some good things that he can do that’s going to help us this year.”
Jones is a mid-week injury, which is always tough to gauge. It could be a minor thing, or we could see him sidelined on Friday. One thing to keep in mind here, though, is that practice squad tackle Dan Skipper has also not been practicing. So if Jones can’t go, it’s quite possible that Giovanni Manu will be active for the first time in his career.
Awosika has been able to practice all week, and while he was estimated to have been limited on Wednesday, he continues to get work in. As of right now, Awosika looks on track to potentially suit up on Sunday, but if he is not, the Lions have nine offensive linemen on their roster, which is still enough players to qualify for the game-day roster bonus.
Coming soon, but while you wait:
