The Detroit Lions (5-2) and Minnesota Vikings (3-4) were back on the practice field on Thursday as they prepare for a Sunday afternoon showdown at Ford Field.
Let’s take a look at the latest injury report and get you up to date with what we know. Note: Any changes from the last injury report will be bolded.
No practice
- RB Craig Reynolds (hamstring)
- S Kerby Joseph (knee)
Reynolds injured his hamstring in Week 7, and despite the extra time to rest over the bye week, he still has been unable to practice. While he could still return to practice on Friday and potentially be made available for Sunday, the Lions may not want to rush him back, especially with Sione Vaki trending toward returning to play.
Joseph missed an entire week of practices and the game in Week 7 as the Lions have worked to “calm down” his knee injury. He has yet to practice in Week 9, but he shouldn’t be considered ruled out just yet. In previous weeks, the Lions have played Joseph with little to no practice, but if he needs more time, Detroit may need to turn back to Thomas Harper again this Sunday.
Limited practice
- RB Sione Vaki (groin)
- LB Malcolm Rodriguez (ACL, still on PUP) — Days remaining in evaluation: 18
- DB Avonte Maddox (hamstring)
- S Daniel Thomas (forearm, still on IR) — Days remaining in evaluation: 17
Vaki has now stacked multiple practices this week and looks like he is on track to return to game action. His timing works out well for the Lions offense—with Reynolds dealing with a hamstring injury—but his impact will likely be most felt on special teams.
Rodriguez is only a few practices into his injury evaluation and is not expected to be ready to return to the active roster for another week or two. At this stage of his rehabilitation, just making daily progress is good.
Maddox missed the last two games but has been practicing this week and could be on his way to returning to action this Sunday. Like with Muhammad, hamstrings can be tricky, so he’ll likely need another day of monitoring.
Thomas started his injury evaluation clock on Monday and is stacking practices to return. He’s recovering from a broken bone, as opposed to a soft tissue injury, which could make his path back to the roster quicker, but he’ll still need to re-acclimate after not playing football for a month.
Full practice
- LT Taylor Decker (shoulder) — Upgraded to full practice
- EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad (hamstring) — Upgraded to full practice
- CB Terrion Arnold (shoulder)
Decker worried some folks after his post-Week 7 comments about his shoulder, but he’s been practicing all week, which is an encouraging sign that he’s feeling well enough to contribute. An upgrade to a full practice suggests he’s in a better place than he’s been in previous weeks.
Muhammad missed Tuesday’s practice but was estimated to have been limited on Wednesday and was indeed back on the practice field on Thursday. Hamstring injuries can linger, but a full practice is a good sign he’ll be available this week.
Arnold continues to progress toward returning to play on Sunday after missing Weeks 6 and 7. His return would bring even more stability to a Lions secondary that has been playing very well.
Vikings’ injury report
Note: Starters are bolded, changes are noted.
Did not practice
- FB C.J. Ham (hand)
- TE Josh Oliver (foot) — already ruled OUT
- LT Christian Darrisaw (knee) — Downgraded from FULL on Wednesday
- CB Jeff Okudah (concussion)
Limited practice
- RT Brian O’Neill (knee)
- CB Isaiah Rodgers (shoulder)
Full practice
- QB J.J. McCarthy (ankle)
- LB Johnathan Greenard (ankle) — Upgraded from limited
- EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel (neck) — hopes to play, still uncertain
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