There weren’t any players at the Detroit Lions facility in Allen Park on Monday, two days after the team suffered an agonizing loss in Dallas. Head coach Dan Campbell still had a press conference date with the media, and he used the latter portion of it to update some injury-related concerns about his team.
The players were off on Monday, so no Lions practice was held. Campbell still fielded several questions about the status of some players entering the final week of the regular season.
Alim McNeill
The defensive tackle is now eligible to come off the injured reserve list after missing four weeks.
“I think there’s a shot. Yeah, I do. I do,” Campbell said of the Lions’ top interior defender.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson
Campbell was especially upbeat about the veteran defensive back. Gardner-Johnson is returning from a torn pec suffered in Week 2 and has practiced since having his return clock started on December 21st.
“Yeah, would love to. Love to get C.J. involved,” Campbell said.
Jason Cabinda
Cabinda had a very strange lead-up to the game in Dallas. The veteran fullback was activated from the injured reserve on Thursday but then waived on Friday.
Campbell indicated as part of a prior answer that he would “love to get Cabinda involved, but that’s all – here we are, it’s Monday. But that – just tentatively, that’s in my head.”
When asked if the team expected Cabinda to return despite being waived last week, Campbell was optimistic,
“I hope.”
Sam LaPorta
When asked if there was any injury concern for the record-setting rookie tight end, Campbell quickly shot down any worries.
“No, he’s good, he’s good,” Campbell said.
Jameson Williams
Campbell was a little less upbeat on the status of second-year wideout Jameson Williams. “Jamo” suffered an ankle injury in the Dallas game.
“Yeah, so, he’s doing alright. I mean, he’s got a little bit of an ankle, but it’s – it’ll be day-to-day right now, but nothing significant.”