Detroit Lions Glover Quin in a walking boot
Dez Bryant (88) runs for yards after the catch against Detroit Lions strong safety Glover Quin (27) during 2nd half of a game at Ford Field. Lions won 31-30. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
The Detroit Lions made a very shrewd move to make a much-needed upgrade at safety this past offseason, as they signed former Houston Texans converted cornerback Glover Quin to be their new starting strong safety. Quin has done nothing but impress, and he’s really made a positive impact to the Lions pass coverage this season. The improvement from this unit isn’t a surprise thanks to Quin’s solid play, and he currently has six passes defended, two interceptions, and 34 tackles this season.
However, it seems like he suffered a significant injury in the loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, as Lions official site beat writer Tim Twentyman reports that Glover Quin was spotted with a walking boot on his left ankle (he obviously did not participate in today’s practice). Quin left the game against the Steelers with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter, and it didn’t look good at first glance. Still, it’s a bit of a surprise to hear that the injury was significant enough to cause Quin to wear a walking boot.
Nobody should expect him to play this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which shouldn’t be too big of an issue for the Lions. Despite back-to-back wins over the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons, the Bucs aren’t much of a threat to the Lions. I mean, even a Quin-less Lions defense is significantly better than the Falcons defense that was trampled by Bobby Rainey, Mike Glennon, and Vincent Jackson on Sunday.
What is worrisome, though, is the fact that the Lions have a short week following the game against the Buccaneers, because they face the rival Green Bay Packers in a key Thanksgiving matchup. Nobody should expect Aaron Rodgers to be back by then either, but that threat still remains. Beyond that, it would be nice for the Lions to have their high-performing safety out there in a key division game.