The Detroit Lions have 2 empty spots on their 53-man roster after placing Aidan Hutchinson, Kyle Peko on IR.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Detroit Lions made the news official: Aidan Hutchinson has been placed on injured reserve. He will miss a minimum of four games, but with a fractured tibia and fibula, the expectation is for the Lions’ leading sack-getter to miss the rest of the season.
Coach Dan Campbell noted it was a four-to-six-month recovery, but didn’t completely count out a return, which would obviously have to happen deep into the postseason.
“Probably a long road, but I would never count him out,” Campbell said Monday. “And I would say if anybody could make it back, it’d be him.”
In addition to Hutchinson, the Lions also placed nose tackle Kyle Peko on injured reserve. Peko reportedly suffered a torn pectoral muscle against the Dallas Cowboys and is expected to have season-ending surgery.
To help fortify their defensive line, the Lions also made official the signing of Isaiah Thomas, who was on the Bengals’ practice squad. Because Detroit poached Thomas from a practice squad, he has to join the Lions’ 53-man roster and he earns three weeks of guaranteed pay.
Prior to these moves, the Lions still had an open spot on their roster. So with two losses and only one addition, Detroit still has two vacancies on their 53-man roster. The Lions have several options on their practice squad who could get the promotion. For example, the Lions elevated undrafted rookie Isaac Ukwu to the game day roster and he played 36 snaps against the Cowboys. Other internal defensive line options include practice squadders Mitchell Agude and recently-added Al-Quadin Muhammad.
“That was his (Ukwu’s) first taste of real NFL football, so I thought as the game went on, he got better,” Campbell said. “It looked like it was his first NFL game. That’s just the truth, but I also—I see that guy every day in practice, I see Agude every day in practice, we just got Muhammad here, I’ve known what he’s been able to do for a while. And so, man, those are guys that—they’re going to do what we ask them to do and they’re going to go all-out to do it. And while they’re doing it, they’re going to continue to grow. Ukwu will get better every week. And so, look, everything’s on the table.”
