Top 10 injury news of the Lions 2024 season - #10 Alex Anzalone's forearm fracture
Anzalone has been an extremely valuable player and captain since joining the team four years ago. One of his most memorable plays in a Lions uniform was when he sniffed out a 4th down play to help end the Packers playoff hopes in 2022.
Losing him late last season was a big concern as the Lions had already lost a number of key defenders.
Injury video from November 17, 2024
He ended up having plate and screws to fix the fracture, which left a lengthy scar.
Anzalone forearm scar
Impact of injury
Despite the loss of this key cog in the middle of the defense, the Lions only lost one of the six games Anzalone missed. Credit to the team for sustaining their winning ways after already losing defensive starters Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, and Derrick Barnes earlier.
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Anzalone recovered in time to return for the final regular season game vs the Vikings and the playoff game vs the Commanders.
Interesting tidbits
∎Anzalone played in a game just five days into his 21-day practice window. Typically and ideally, the practice window is timed to try to take advantage of as much of it as possible. The nature of his injury being an arm (not a leg) as well as the importance of the game (Lions vs Vikings - #1 seed to the winner) likely played a role in his early return in the window.
∎Some might say experience is the best teacher. Some might say pain is. Anzalone has both as he broke the same left forearm in college.
Friendly fire injury
Friendly fire injuries were a concern throughout the season and Anzalone's injury fell into that category. Here's the link to my article summarizing the 2024 friendly fire injuries. While Brian Branch was the one who laid the critical hit, I wouldn't place any blame on him as Anzalone was reaching simultaneously and was not close to having the runner wrapped up.
Outlook
Going forward, there are no significant concerns with Anzalone's forearm. He looked great when he returned, and his strong play should continue into next season.
Off-the-field considerations
The main concern as the season approaches may be off-the-field. He skipped the voluntary OTA for unstated reasons, but there are whispers it could be due to the desire for an extension.
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The 2025 season will be his final one under his current contract. Anzalone starts the 2025 season at age 30 and turns 31 on September 22. Age is beginning to become a concern, but with no signs of athletic decline, it's possible the Lions will feel comfortable extending him this offseason. The forearm fracture should not have any impact on this decision.
While the health issues are negligible, salary cap considerations are not. At the LB position, Derrick Barnes just received a 3-year deal worth up to $25.5 million with $16 million guaranteed, and the productive, 24-year-old Jack Campbell may be a priority extension next offseason. The Lions also have many younger players who are worthy of big-money extensions such as Aidan Hutchinson, Brian Branch, Jameson Williams, and Sam LaPorta. As training camp nears, it will be interesting to see how Anzalone's status plays out.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Top 10 injury news of Lions 2024 season - #10 Alex Anzalone's forearm
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