DJ Chark said this week he was optimistic his left ankle injury won’t keep him out for the rest of the season. But the Detroit Lions’ biggest free agent addition of the spring will miss at least the next four games.
The Lions placed Chark and special teams ace Bobby Price on injured reserve Saturday, signed return man Maurice Alexander from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, and activated defensive lineman Josh Paschal and cornerback Jerry Jacobs from the physically unable to perform list. Kicker Austin Seibert tore his adductor tendons as well and will undergo surgery Tuesday, according to his Instagram.
Chark fractured his left ankle last fall with the Jacksonville Jaguars and missed most of the season. He played the first three games with the Lions this year, catching seven passes for 98 yards, but missed the Lions’ two games before the bye with soreness in his ankle.
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Chark wore a walking boot in the locker room this week that he said was just precautionary. Price, who tore his MCL, was injured in practice this week when a teammate dove into his knee.
Both players are eligible to return Nov. 19, the day before the Lions’ game against the New York Giants.
“The boot makes it look way worse,” Chark said. “But it’s better than my shoe for right now, so it makes it more comfortable. But it’s nowhere near like, I’ve experienced some things and this is something that I’m very confident in that I can get back on the right track.”
The Lions have been ravaged by injuries in their receiving corps this fall. Amon-Ra St. Brown missed one game and was severely limited in another with a high ankle sprain, and Josh Reynolds played through a low ankle sprain before the bye and suffered a knee injury late in the Lions’ Week 5 loss to the Patriots.
St. Brown will play Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, and Reynolds said he is optimistic he will be available, too.
The Lions elevated receiver Brandon Zylstra and kicker Michael Badgley from the practice squad Saturday. Zylstra adds depth at receiver, while Badgley will handle kicking duties.
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said Chark’s absence will force the Lions “to be a little bit more selective in terms of our game planning,” but expressed confidence in a unit that looks similar to the one the Lions finished the season with last year.
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Paschal, a second-round pick out of Kentucky, and Jacobs, a nine-game starter as an undrafted rookie last season, should help a Lions defense that has given up the most points and yards in the NFL. Jacobs indicated he likely will playa supporting role on Sunday — Amani Oruwariye could rejoin the starting lineup after a one-game benching — and Paschal figures to be in the defensive line rotation.
“I’m ready to go,” Paschal said. “I think they’re just going to throw me out there and see what I can do. Whatever they throw at me I think I’ll be able to handle it.”
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.