Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell offered three key injury updates for the team’s Week 9 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. It comes with both good and bad news.
The bad news is that safety Kerby Joseph is expected to miss his second straight game with a lingering knee injury.
“I don’t see Kerby playing this week. He’s going to need a little bit here,” Campbell said. “The negative is, yeah, I don’t think he’s going to play. The positive is, he’s getting better. He really is. It’s just going to take a minute here.”
Joseph leads the team with three interceptions and is coming off an All-Pro season. In his place, the Lions could choose to play Thomas Harper, who replaced Joseph against the Buccaneers. However, they could also play Avonte Maddox there, who is back on the practice field after missing a few weeks with a hamstring injury.
The good news comes for left tackle Taylor Decker and cornerback Terrion Arnold. Decker, while not expected to practice on Friday, is expected to play on Sunday, per Campbell.
“Decker, I don’t see practicing today, but I do see him playing. He had a good week,” Campbell said.
Decker has not been 100% this year, as he’s been battling a shoulder injury all season. That said, he did see the practice field more than normal this week, suggesting he’s getting better.
While Campbell didn’t say for sure that Arnold will play, he did say that the second-year cornerback is trending in the right direction after a few full practices this week.
“TA is trending the right way right now. He’s looked pretty good in practice,” Campbell said.
Arnold suffered a shoulder injury, which was initially considered long-term, but after getting a second opinion, he avoided surgery and has only missed two games. If he plays, he’s expected to start opposite Amik Robertson against the Vikings’ strong receiving corps.
The team will offer official injury designations later on Friday afternoon.
In other injury news, Campbell finally provided a more substantive update on defensive end Josh Paschal. The former second-round pick has missed all season with a back injury, but the Lions are expecting him to return to the lineup in late November, early December.
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