Pride of Detroit
The Detroit Lions (8-7) and Minnesota Vikings (7-8) have announced their initial injury reports as they prepare to face off in Week 17. With this game being played on a Thursday (Christmas Day), the Lions’ practice schedule is altered this week. Their initial report comes out on Monday, while the injury declarations will be announced on Wednesday.
The Lions held a walkthrough on Monday, meaning each player’s practice participation level is estimated by the coaching staff, projecting each injured player’s involvement had there been a regular practice on that day.
Let’s take a look at the latest injury report and get you up to date with what we know. Note: Any changes from the last injury report will be bolded.
Joseph was placed on injured reserve last Saturday, and with him not being eligible to return until the Divisional Round of the playoffs, his season is effectively over. The Lions have insisted that he’s been close to returning all season, but they’ve had a difficult time “calming down” his knee, so hopefully an offseason of rest will afford him a proper chance to heal up for 2026.
St. Brown played on 97% of offensive snaps in Week 16, but a knee injury kept him from an estimated practice on Monday. While this could be a precautionary measure, it’ll be worth monitoring his progress on a short week.
“We’ll know more a little bit later, but this is something that popped up when he came in today,” coach Dan Campbell said at his Monday press conference. “Hopeful that this is just some irritation from the game. That’s what I’m hoping, but I’ll know more later. I’ll know more tonight.”
Decker has routinely taken practices off ahead of games, and on a short week, it wouldn’t be surprising if he doesn’t practice much, if at all, leading up to this game.
Maddox injured his back against the Steelers, but he was able to finish the game, suggesting this could be a rest day for the veteran. However, because this soft-tissue injury likely popped up following the game, it’s worth monitoring.
