The Detroit Lions announced on Friday afternoon that veteran defensive lineman Pat O’Connor has been placed on injured reserve.
The news comes after O’Connor missed last week’s game against the Washington Commanders with a knee injury. It appeared he was progressing after practicing on Wednesday this week. However, he was absent from both Thursday’s and Friday’s practices, suggesting a setback.
O’Connor’s role in the Lions’ defense had waned in recent weeks. As someone who could play both the interior and outside of the defensive line, O’Connor has been valuable depth. But Detroit has leaned more on Tyler Lacy on the edge, and a combination of Alim McNeill, Tyleik Williams, Roy Lopez, and DJ Reader on the inside. Prior to his injury, O’Connor had been averaging just 7.5 defensive snaps over his past four games. That said, he has been a quiet fixture on special teams. He’s had at least 15 special teams snaps in seven Lions games this year, and has even gotten a few shoutouts from the coaching staff for his work on that unit.
With the Lions nearing the return of Josh Paschal from injured reserve, they should be able to absorb the loss of O’Connor.
Now on IR, O’Connor must miss at least the next four games of the Lions’ season. That makes him eligible to return in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Lions now have an open spot on their 53-man roster. With several players eligible to be active for Sunday night’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, expect that spot to be filled soon. Miles Frazier, Marcus Davenport, D.J. Reed, and Malcolm Rodriguez are all questionable for the game and would require an activation to the 53-man roster. However, Rodriguez is the most likely of the bunch to actually make an appearance this week.
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