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Taylor Decker had shoulder surgery, Lions hope he practices after Hall of Fame game

Taylor Decker had shoulder surgery, Lions hope he practices after Hall of Fame game

NBC Sports8 hours ago
The news that defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike will miss the season with a torn ACL was the biggest headline of head coach Dan Campbell's Sunday press conference, but he provided several other injury updates as well.
Left tackle Taylor Decker was placed on the physically unable to perform list upon reporting to training camp and Campbell said that he is recovering from shoulder surgery. Campbell said that the hope is that Decker will be able to start practicing after the Lions face the Chargers in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio on July 31.
'We feel like there's a good chance we can get [Decker] back after the Hall of Fame Game,' Decker said, via the team's website. 'He's good. Just cleaned up his shoulder a little bit and we're going to work him back in when he's ready to go. He's in a good place.'
The wait is set to be a bit longer for defensive end Josh Paschal. Paschal is on the non-football injury list and Campbell, who did not share the nature of Paschal's injury, does not expect him to practice until September.
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Detroit Lions DL Levi Onwuzurike out for season after ACL surgery, setback for team with ailing Alim McNeill
Detroit Lions DL Levi Onwuzurike out for season after ACL surgery, setback for team with ailing Alim McNeill

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time2 hours ago

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Detroit Lions DL Levi Onwuzurike out for season after ACL surgery, setback for team with ailing Alim McNeill

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Detroit Lions defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike is out for the season after having knee surgery, a setback for a franchise that was counting on him to fill in for Alim McNeill. Lions coach Dan Campbell made the announcement Sunday morning, hours before his team had its first training camp practice of the year. The 27-year-old Onwuzurike started in a career-high 11 games last season, including Detroit's loss to Washington in the divisional round. His playing time increased when McNeill had a season-ending knee injury in December. McNeill, who signed a $97 million, four-year contract extension last October, is out indefinitely. Onwuzurike's injury gives rookie defensive tackle Tyleik Williams a chance to play a significant role when the two-time defending NFC North champions kick off the season Sept. 7 at Green Bay. 'Losing Levi, that hurts, but it helps that we got Tyleik,' Campbell said. The Lions will play in the league's first preseason game July 31 against the Los Angeles Chargers in Canton, Ohio. Detroit selected Williams, a former Ohio State standout, with the 28th pick overall in the NFL draft. The 6-foot-3, 334-pound Williams started 13 games for the national champion Buckeyes and had 46 tackles, including eight for losses and 2 1/2 sacks. The Lions also will lean on 31-year-old defensive tackle DJ Reader and newly acquired veteran Roy Lopez, who started 16 games last season for Arizona and has 50 career starts with the Cardinals and Houston Texans. 'I like what we've got in that room,' Campbell said. 'We've got an opportunity for a lot of guys. We just have to get the best unit that we can to come out of this, and then we have to weather any storm until we get reinforcements because reinforcements are coming, at least we know that.' Detroit's injury report on the defensive line also lists Mekhi Wingo, who had a season-ending knee injury, and Josh Paschal, who had shoulder surgery. The team also held edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad out of its first practice. 'Feel good about getting Paschal back here at some point before the season,' Campbell said. The Lions are encouraged by Aidan Hutchinson's comeback from surgery he had last season after breaking his left leg in two places, ending his third NFL season with 7 1/2 sacks in five games. Hutchinson appeared to fully participate in practice on Sunday, wearing a black sleeve to support much of his left leg. 'It's hard to differentiate from any other time I've seen because he's so fluid and he's just such a beast,' said defensive end Marcus Davenport, who was limited to two games last season because of torn triceps. 'He looks good to you, like he's back.'

Day 1 training camp medical updates after 1st Lions practice
Day 1 training camp medical updates after 1st Lions practice

USA Today

time3 hours ago

  • USA Today

Day 1 training camp medical updates after 1st Lions practice

Dan Campbell's first press conference of training camp dropped a bombshell regarding Levi Onwuzurike. Here are my quick takeaways, along with some Campbell quotes. Levi Onwuzurike (27yo) - ACL surgery, out for season When he was placed on reserve PUP, the implication was that the injury was very significant. Now we know some of the details. Campbell intriguingly stated that the ACL surgery "needed to be done" which would not even be a question with a straightforward, complete ACL tear. Maybe this was a partial ACL tear which may or may not necessitate surgery. The timing of the injury as well as the surgery are unknown, but would be fascinating to know. He was playing with a right knee brace at the end of last season which could be relevant. The Lions signed him to a modest 1-year deal in March so there was clearly no concern from the team at that time. Presumably the injury happened after he signed his deal, but this isn't certain. On the bright side, the injury is not related to his L5-S1 lumbar fusion of which he has made a remarkable recovery from. OUTLOOK: An ACL has a very reliable recovery, but takes about 11 months to return to play. He should be ready for next season if this is an uncomplicated ACL repair. From a team standpoint, the Lions were counting on him, as they gave him $3.5 million guaranteed this year. With already many other active health concerns at the DT position, the loss of Onwuzurike could have a major impact on the season. Taylor Decker (32yo at start of season) - PUP, shoulder cleanup "There's a good chance we can get him back after the Hall-of-Fame game [July 31]" Campbell stated it was a shoulder cleanup and implied it wasn't too concerning. Last year, Decker missed a game due to a rotator cuff which could be relevant. I did not see video evidence of the injury. He also had a right pec strain a couple weeks prior to the rotator cuff issue. In 2017, Decker had shoulder labrum surgery. He was a full participant at OTA in June so it's possible something happened at that time. OUTLOOK: It sounds like Decker will be fine in the short term. Notably, this is the second straight offseason that he's had a significant surgery (toe sesamoidectomy, ankle deltoid, bone spurs), so the wear on his body is starting to accumulate. Josh Paschal (25yo) - NFI, unspecified cleanup "Probably Labor Day we can start working him into practice." Campbell described it as a cleanup but no specific body part was mentioned. Paschal was limited at June OTA, so it's possible this issue was present back then. Paschal is on NFI (non-football injury) which implies that the injury occurred during personal time. He missed two games last season with a shoulder mass excision, and it's unknown if that's related. OUTLOOK: This is a fairly significant issue considering he's still at least six weeks away - and may have been injured for many weeks already. His recovery from this injury and performance this season will be something to keep an eye on. Players not practicing These players were noted by Campbell as not practicing. Since they aren't on PUP/NFI, presumably the injuries, if any, are minimal. Campbell scoffed at the suggestion that Anzalone was a "hold-in", but this remains a distinct possibility. Players on PUP/NFI who were not mentioned In other news from the first day of practice... Ennis Rakestraw - Chest injury The mechanism was described by Nolan Bianchi as a collision which hopefully means it's just a simple contusion. Jeff Risdon described it as being "tied up" with a receiver, which would be a bit more concerning for a strain or tear. Body parts in the chest area include the pec, ribs, clavicle, lungs, and SC joint.

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