| Detroit Free Press
Breaking down where Detroit Lions go after deflating loss to Colts
Free Press sports writers Dave Birkett, Shawn Windsor assess the damage after the Detroit Lions’ loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Filmed Nov. 2, 2020.
The Detroit Lions went 0-2 with Kenny Golladay out of the lineup to start the season, and they could be without their No. 1 wide receiver again.
Golladay limped off the field late in the first half of Sunday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts with a hip injury, and NFL Network reported Monday the injury will keep him out of at least this week’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Golladay did not return to the field Sunday, and Lions coach Matt Patricia declined to specify a timetable for his return Monday.
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Return man Jamal Agnew (ribs) and right tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai (foot) also left Sunday’s game injuries that will keep them out an undetermined amount of time.
“I would say it’s day by day and week by week, I would say that is true,” Patricia said. “Obviously, everybody’s a little bit sore today from the game yesterday. It was a physical game and today obviously guys are going through their medical checks and then we’ll see how it looks tomorrow and see how it looks at the end of the week, really.”
Golladay leads the Lions with 338 yards receiving on 20 catches and has been the team’s premier deep threat in recent years.
The Lions (3-4) struggled to move the ball downfield in season-opening losses to the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, when Golladay was sidelined with a strained hamstring.
Rookie fifth-round pick Quintez Cephus replaced Golladay in the starting lineup against the Bears and Packers, but has played sparingly since Golladay’s return. The Lions also are bringing free agent Mohamed Sanu in for a free agent workout.
Golladay, who turns 27 on Tuesday, is in the final season of his rookie contract and ticketed for free agency in March.
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He has had sporadic contract negotiations with the Lions this fall, and the two sides remain far apart on a new deal. The franchise tag for a receiver in 2021 is projected to be about $15.5 million, while top receivers who signed deals earlier this year – DeAndre Hopkins, Amari Cooper and Keenan Allen – topped $20 million annually.
Golladay told the Free Press last week that COVID-19 restrictions kept his Atlanta-based agent from meeting with the Lions when the team was in town to play the Falcons.
He sounded off on Instagram, however, in mid-October about his lack of an extension, posting a cryptic message – “This (bleep) gone cost you!” – after a big game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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CBS Sports reported Sunday that Golladay’s contract frustrations came to a head over the weekend when he “was not at the facility when he should have been” on Saturday.
A team source told the Free Press that Golladay took part in the morning walk-through Saturday, but the Lions did not know where he was for a period later in the day and had to track him down to return.
“Kenny was here in the morning, Kenny got his COVID test, Kenny was here in the afternoon actually for some extra work on his body,” Patricia said. “Kenny was here at night and Kenny was at bed check, so he was here.”
Asked if he attended all evening meetings in their entirety, Patricia did not directly answer.
“I think I’m good on Kenny Golladay questions for Saturday,” he said. “Look, I keep everything kind of in house as far as what we do with our meetings and who’s required to be where and when so I don’t really know where that report came from, but that’s all I’m going to say.”
Asked last week if he wants to remain a Lion, Golladay told the Free Press, “I like it here. I got No. 9 (Matthew Stafford) with me, that’s a plus.”
Patricia said he has not sensed any frustration from Golladay about his contract.
“No,” Patricia said. “Kenny and I have great dialogue every day, really from that standpoint. Like I said, I don’t really talk about contracts with anybody as far as any of that stuff, publicly. Really don’t have anything else to say there.”
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.