Alex Anzalone is OUT as the Lions declare their inactives ahead of their Week 3 matchup with the Cardinals.
The Detroit Lions have declared their inactives ahead of the Week 3 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.
Unfortunately for the Lions, they will be without one of their defensive captains, as it appears that Alex Anzalone was unable to clear the NFL’s concussion protocol and will miss this game. The Lions have plenty of depth at the linebacker position—including six on the roster—and will lean on Jack Campbell (MIKE), Malcolm Rodriguez (WILL), Derrick Barnes (SAM), and Jalen Reeves-Maybin (coverage) in game-day roles.
“Well, I’ve said this all along, but I have plenty of trust in that linebacker room,” coach Dan Campbell said earlier this week. “Jack [Campbell] has done a good job for us, going from OTAs and training camp, of backing Alex [Anzalone] up and being able to make the calls and stand in front of that huddle, so I have no issue with that. Rigo [Rodriguez] was a starter for us for quite some time, so I am very comfortable with him coming in and getting those reps too. So that’s a room that I have the utmost confidence in regardless of who plays, even if Germ [Reeves-Maybin] has to play, I expect him to go out there and play up to the same level as every other linebacker that we have. So, I’m confident in those guys.”
With the return of Marcus Davenport to the lineup, the Lions also opted to make James Houston a healthy scratch.
The Lions did not make any transactions on their 53-man roster this week, but they did elevate wide receivers Tim Patrick and Allen Robinson, bringing Detroit’s game-day roster total up to 55 players.
Because the Lions have eight offensive linemen active for Sunday’s game, they are eligible to expand their game-day roster from 47 to 48 players. Therefore, with 55 players on the game-day roster and 48 eligible to play, the Lions need to declare seven players inactive for today’s matchup.
Lions inactives:
- WR Isaiah Williams (abdomen)
- LT Giavanni Manu
- RT Colby Sorsdal
- EDGE James Houston
- LB Alex Anzalone (concussion)
- CB Ennis Rakestraw (hamstring) — Ruled OUT on Friday
- S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) — Ruled OUT on Friday
Cardinals inactives:
- RT Kelvin Beachum (hamstring) – was listed as questionable
- OL Jon Gaines II
- TE Travis Vokolek
- WR Xavier Weaver
- LB Jesse Luketa
- LB Victor Dimukeje
- CB Darren Hall
