The Lions were obviously without linebacker Jack Campbell at practice on Wednesday and two other key defensive players were also on the sideline as the team worked to get ready to face the Dolphins.
Cornerback D.J. Reed (hip) and defensive end DJ Wonnum (concussion) were both out of action for the Lions. Both players were injured during last Sunday’s win over the Vikings.
Center Cade Mays (ankle) was also hurt in that game and he missed practice as well.
Safety Brian Branch (concussion), safety Kerby Joseph (knee), linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga (toe), running back Jacob Saylors (neck), and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (rib) were all limited participants. Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (cramps) was a full participant for the Lions.
Lions Clips
The Lions have made a few roster moves at linebacker.
Detroit announced the club has signed K.J. Britt to the 53-man roster off of New England’s practice squad. The Lions have also signed Joe Bachie to the 53-man roster from their own practice squad.
Britt, 27, has appeared in one game this season. He played all 17 for Miami last year, recording 35 total tackles.
Bachie, 28, has appeared in two games for Detroit this year, playing exclusively on special teams.
Additionally, the Lions have signed linebacker Owen Pappoe to their practice squad.
In Dan Campbell’s first season as the Lions’ head coach, he went 3-13-1. By Year 2 the Lions had improved to 9-8, and in Year 3 they were in the NFC Championship Game. Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley wants to build his team the way Campbell built the Lions, and Campbell thinks Hafley is doing it the right way.
With the Dolphins set to face the Lions on Sunday, both Hafley and Campbell said today that they see similarities between where the Dolphins are now and where the Lions were in Campbell’s first season: Building a winning culture, even if their record doesn’t show it yet.
“That’s how I want to play football. Let me retract that: That’s how we are playing football,” Hafley said of the way the Lions play. “I think if you watch us right now, every coach has said it, and everyone who watches us, whether it’s on TV or they turn on the tape, I get texts or phone calls, that’s what’s showing up on tape right now. And while it’s disappointing that we’re 1-6, the foundation of that with young guys, that’s really important to us. When you see the physicality and the toughness and how hard guys are playing, it means that they’re playing for each other and they’re bought in. We’ve brought the right guys here. That’s very, very important to me, and it will continue to be.”
Campbell said he thinks Hafley is building his team exactly the way a new coach should.
“Coach Hafley’s done a good job in his first year,” Campbell said. “A lot of similarities — it reminds me of what we were when we came in. They’re young, they’re hungry, they’re active, they run, they hit, they hustle, they finish, try to play disciplined ball. And they’re playing that way.”
Lions linebacker Jack Campbell has issued a statement on Wednesday after suffering a serious neck injury on Sunday, saying that he has full movement in his lower body and is continuing to make progress with movement in his upper body.
This is the first definitive update on Campbell’s condition since he was transported to the hospital on Sunday.
“I’m incredibly encouraged by the progress I’ve made in such a short period of time,” Campbell’s statement reads, in part. “I have full movement in my lower body, and I’m continuing to make progress with movement in my upper body. I know there’s still work ahead, but I remain very optimistic. I’m taking things one day at a time, staying positive, and focusing on getting better.”
Campbell went on to thank those who have helped take care of him since Sunday.
“I especially want to thank the athletic trainers and medical personnel who responded and cared for me on the field,” Campbell said. “I know those were difficult moments, and I’m incredibly grateful for the professionalism, compassion, and care you showed me. The way you handled everything and looked after me when I needed it most is something I’ll never forget. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
“I also can’t say enough about the incredible care I’ve received from the medical team at Henry Ford Hospital and the Detroit Lions medical staff. They’ve been amazing to me and my family throughout this process, and I’m truly grateful for everything they’ve done.”
Campbell added, “To my teammates, coaches, and everyone in the Lions organization, I want you to know how much I love and appreciate you. This team is a family to me, and the way everyone has been there for me means everything. I’m proud to be a Detroit Lion and couldn’t ask to be surrounded by a better group of people.
“One thing I’ve learned about Detroit is that this city is built on toughness, resilience, and grit. That’s exactly how I’m going to approach this challenge.
“Please continue to keep me and my family in your prayers. We feel the love, and I can’t thank everyone enough.”
The Lions handed the Vikings their first loss of the season on Sunday.
Detroit was able to win the field position battle largely because of punter Jack Fox.
Now he’s been named NFC special teams player of the week.
Fox averaged 46.5 yards on his four punts, with three being downed inside the 20-yard line. The Vikings’ average starting field position was inside their own 15-yard line, which was the lowest mark of Week 8.
This is Fox’s second career player of the week award, which he previously won back in 2024.
Anyone who follows football and who cares about the men who play the game remains deeply concerned about the health and well-being of Lions linebacker Jack Campbell, who remains hospitalized after suffering a neck injury during Sunday’s game against the Vikings.
His coach at Iowa, Kirk Ferentz, opened a Tuesday press conference by addressing Campbell’s current situation.
“I want to share our support, certainly to the family, and most importantly to Jack,” Ferentz said. “And I’ve been in contact with the family, expressed that to them, and they’ve kept us updated, but we’re gonna respect their wishes right now. They’ll handle the information that comes out. When they think it’s appropriate, they’ll release that information and go from there.
“And just, you know, real briefly, I think all of you know, just how impactful Jack was in our program, what a tremendous person he is, what a tremendous player he’s been for us, and then now he’s moved on and done the same exact thing in Detroit, not only playing really well, but just a tremendous leader and tremendous addition. So we’re all keeping him in our thoughts, and certainly, you know, hope everybody that’s a Hawkeye fan does the same.”
Campbell played for Iowa from 2019 through 2022, before becoming a first-round pick of the Lions in 2023. In 2022, he was a first-team All-American, the Big Ten defensive player of the year, and the winner of the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker.
The Lions announced that linebacker Jimmy Rolder suffered a season-ending hamstring injury during Sunday’s win over the Vikings and they moved him to the injured reserve list.
Rolder was injured on the same play that linebacker Jack Campbell suffered a neck injury that has required him to remain hospitalized since Sunday. The fourth-round pick had 11 tackles and a sack in his five appearances during the regular season.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that the team will sign linebacker K.J. Britt off of the Patriots’ practice squad.
They have another open roster spot at their disposal as well. They announced that defensive back Bishop Fitzgerald has been waived on Tuesday.
Fitzgerald was signed off of the Steelers’ practice squad in September, but he never appeared in a game for the Lions.
Even though the Lions have only played seven games and most teams have played eight, Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs is leading the NFL with 191 touches — a huge workload that raises questions about whether Detroit needs a player to share carries with Gibbs, the way David Montgomery had done before he was traded to Houston.
Enter Sione Vaki.
Vaki had a career-high 11 carries and a career-high 65 yards in Sunday’s win over the Vikings, and his direct running style was a valuable change of pace for the Lions to have while Gibbs got some breathers between his own 23 carries for 153 yards.
Lions coach Dan Campbell emphasized after the game that the Lions told Vaki they needed him to step up against the Vikings, and Vaki answered the bell.
“Vaki was one of the guys we challenged this week going into this game,” Campbell said. “We were going to need him. He needed to show up. He was going to need to get some carries for us, some significant carries. They needed to be real yards, and he was going to need to be able to pass protect for us. And I thought he took a big step today. That’s a huge step. He gained a lot of trust today, a ton.”
Lions quarterback Jared Goff said the entire offense is excited about what Vaki can bring.
“Vaki ran his tail off,” Goff said. “And when he’s able to do that, it just gives Gibbs that much more of a breath on the sideline to come back and do his thing at his full capacity. And the O-line loved it. They loved the challenge of, like, we’re going to keep leaning on you guys. And I thought they played great.”
The Lions think they have the best running back in the league in Gibbs. If Vaki can prove to be one of the better backup running backs in the league, the Lions’ running game will be in very good shape.
The Lions ran what may have been the most inventive play of the week in the NFL when wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown lined up 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage and got a running start of about 10 yards before Jared Goff threw him the ball, meaning that St. Brown was at full speed by the time the Vikings’ defense had a chance to touch him. St. Brown gained 10 yards on the play.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell said on 97.1 The Ticket that Lions passing game coordinator Mike Kafka came up with that play.
“That was Kafka’s baby. Like most plays, somebody gets an idea, and then you start massaging it, you slap it against the wall, ‘What about this?’ and everyone picks away at it,” Campbell said. “We all have ideas and you throw them against the wall and it’s either perfect or you start massaging it a little bit, you start tinkering. But that one started from Kafka, it was awesome. We’d had it up a couple weeks, just hadn’t run it yet, and this was a good week to do it.”
It was a great time to do it, and now the Lions’ upcoming opponents have something unique they have to be prepared for.
The information out of Detroit regarding the status of linebacker Jack Campbell continues to be general. Regardless, the general message from Lions coach Dan Campbell on Tuesday morning was positive.
“The good news is he is improving,” Dan Campbell said regarding Jack Campbell on 97.1 The Fan.
Jack Campbell suffered a neck injury early in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win over the Vikings. He was taken to the hospital, and he remains there.
Dan Campbell also was asked about the impact of the Jack Campbell injury on the rest of the team.
“Well, I think the thought of him — knowing he’s doing better — you know, and I’ve kept the captains up to date and they’ve let the other guys know is good news,” Dan Campbell said.
In the absence of specifics, there will continue to be a sense of significant concern among the football community. For now, we’ll continue to monitor the situation, share any updates, and hope that Jack Campbell continues to improve.
