Cornerback Terrion Arnold will be back in the Lions’ secondary for Sunday’s NFC North showdown with the Vikings.
Arnold missed the team’s last two games with a shoulder injury, but he was a full participant in practice all of this week and he does not have an injury designation for the game.
Arnold’s return is good news for a secondary that’s been bedeviled by injuries. In addition to the players that have landed on injured reserve, they’ll be without safety Kerby Joseph (knee) this weekend while cornerback Avonte Maddox (hamstring) and safety Daniel Thomas (forearm) are listed as questionable.
Left tackle Taylor Decker (shoulder) is also listed as questionable, but head coach Dan Campbell said on Friday that he thinks Decker will be good to go on Sunday.
Running back Sione Vaki (groin) rounds out the questionable group and the Lions ruled out linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (knee) and running back Craig Reynolds (hamstring).
The Vikings downgraded left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee) to a non-participant on Thursday. It likely is a scheduled rest day after a full practice on Wednesday, something Darrisaw has done for load management in recent weeks.
Outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard (ankle) returned to full participation after a limited session on Wednesday.
The rest of the team’s report remained the same, including quarterback J.J. McCarthy participating fully in practice for a second consecutive day.
Fullback C.J. Ham (hand), cornerback Jeff Okudah (concussion) and tight end Josh Oliver (foot) remained out of practice.
Offensive tackle Brian O’Neill (knee) and cornerback Isaiah Rodgers (shoulder) again were limited.
The Lions had positive developments on their offensive and defensive lines on Thursday.
Left tackle Taylor Decker (shoulder) and defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad (hamstring) were both listed as full practice participants. The two players were limited on Wednesday and the uptick in work bodes well for their chances of playing against the Vikings.
Cornerback Terrion Arnold (shoulder) remained a full participant. Arnold missed the team’s last two games.
Safety Kerby Joseph (knee) and running back Craig Reynolds (hamstring) were out of practice for the second straight day. Cornerback Avonte Maddox (hamstring), linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (knee), safety Daniel Thomas (forearm), and running back Sione Vaki (groin) were listed as limited participants.
The best argument against expanding the NFL from 32 teams is that there simply aren’t enough quarterbacks.
Especially as the season unfolds, and quarterbacks inevitably are injured.
On Wednesday, five quarterbacks received tryouts with new teams. The Jets worked out Desmond Ridder and Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The Cardinals worked out Jeff Driskel, Kyle Trask, Logan Woodside.
Of the group, Ridder has the most experience. The third-round pick in the 2022 draft has started 18 games — 17 with the Falcons and one last year with the Raiders.
All five were drafted. Trask, a second-round pick in 2021, went the earliest. He was released by the Buccaneers in late August, and has not signed with any other roster or practice squad.
The Jets, who are off this weekend, have two quarterbacks on the roster: Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor. Brady Cook is on the practice squad. Taylor, who seemed to be in line to supplant Fields as the starter for Week 8, missed the win over the Bengals with a knee injury.
The Cardinals have three quarterbacks on the roster: Kyler Murray, Jacoby Brissett, and Kedon Slovis. Murray has missed the last two games with a foot injury. The Cardinals had a Week 8 bye.
The Cardinals will issue their first injury report in advance of Monday night’s game at Dallas on Thursday. Whether the Cardinals are thinking about adding an extra quarterback given the possibility that Murray will miss more time or whether they’re thinking about swapping out Slovis for another third-string option remains to be seen.
All signs point to J.J. McCarthy starting at quarterback for the Vikings against the Lions in Week 9 and McCarthy’s first practice session of the week did nothing to dim that expectation.
McCarthy has been out with an ankle injury since Week 2, but was a full participant in the team’s first practice session of the week. After the workout, McCarthy said he feels confident that he’s ready to get back in action.
“Amazing. Ready to go,” McCarthy said. “I feel like myself again. I feel like I had those mobility things that I was concerned about going into last week and the prior weeks. So, yeah, ready to go.”
Carson Wentz went on injured reserve this week and rookie Max Brosmer is the only quarterback behind McCarthy on the active roster, so the team will be hoping that the 2024 first-round pick remains all systems go for the long run.
