Calvin Johnson Injury: Detroit Lions WR could be held out this week
Detroit Lions superstar wide receiver Calvin Johnson was limited to a restricted role as a decoy in the team’s Week 4 win over the New York Jets, but he looked healthier this week and wasn’t supposed to be limited yesterday against the Buffalo Bills. However, the injury bug had other plans for Megatron, as he aggravated his ankle injury in the third quarter after taking a hit from Bills CB Leodis McKelvin. Johnson was forced to leave the game and needed to undergo tests on his ankle after the game. The aggravation didn’t look overly serious, but it is probably something that will need a week to heal. We don’t know the true extent of the injury (we haven’t heard about the test results), but the Lions might want to exercise due caution with their star player.
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Peter King reported today that Johnson could miss a week or two with this latest knock, and ESPN NFL Nation’s Michael Rothstein reports that Lions head coach Jim Caldwell stated that he is “strongly” considering holding Megatron out of this week’s matchup against the rival Minnesota Vikings, who can be beaten with Johnson (Golden Tate).
Ultimately, I think the Lions will play it safe with Calvin Johnson and allow him to rest this week, as his health over the course of the season is far more important for this team, as the Lions have their eyes set on the bigger prize of the playoffs. It’s clear that his ankle injury needs careful management after yesterday’s aggravation, and I expect Caldwell’s decision to reflect that.