Rookie defensive lineman Jashon Cornell’s season is over.
The Detroit Lions placed Cornell on injured reserve Thursday, two days after he suffered an Achilles tendon injury in practice.
Cornell, a seventh-round pick out of Ohio State, was injured during a one-on-one pass rush drill.
His injury was the type of non- or minimal-contact injury that spiked during the 2011 lockout, when players did not have a formal offseason program, and that NFL teams were worried about this summer.
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In 2011, 10 players suffered ruptured Achilles tendons in the first 12 days of post-lockout practice, including five rookies, according to the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy.
“I’m always trying to figure out is there a way that we could have been safer,” Lions coach Matt Patricia said. “I think unfortunately, that was just one of those things that happened. In that particular case, it just looked like he stepped and there was an injury because of that. You certainly wonder if maybe a little bit more offseason, a little bit more training, a little bit more any of those things (would have prevented it). You always go through that in your head and just trying to make sure the players are as safe as possible.”
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Cornell was expected to compete for a backup job on the defensive line this fall behind veterans Trey Flowers, Danny Shelton, Nick Williams and Da’Shawn Hand.
The Lions re-signed running back Wes Hills on Thursday, who was with the team earlier this summer, and made the re-signing of wide receiver Chris Lacy official. They waived fullback Luke Sellers.
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