Detroit Lions: Early injury bug clouds 2017 outlook

The Detroit Lions have been bitten hard by the injury bug in 2017. With the regular season mere weeks away, is it time to panic in the Motor City?

The preseason is supposed to be a time when NFL teams get themselves into football shape and up to speed. It’s supposed to be an opportunity to soak up both mental and on-field reps so that when opening weekend rolls around, it’s all systems go. Perhaps most importantly, it’s a time for players to remain healthy as they prepare for the long, grueling season ahead.

Unfortunately, this has not been the case for the 2017 Detroit Lions.

As reported by ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, the Lions saw 14 (yes, 14) players held out of practice on Thursday, not exactly a promising development for a team that has less than a month to prepare for Week 1. Per Rothstein:

"The tally hit almost every position group: one running back (Matt Asiata), two wide receivers (Noel Thomas, Dontez Ford), five tight ends (Eric Ebron, Cole Wick, Tim Wright, Khari Lee and Michael Roberts), three offensive linemen (T.J. Lang, Cornelius Lucas, Laken Tomlinson), two defensive linemen (Bruce Gaston, Haloti Ngata) and one linebacker (Thurston Armbrister)."

Well, then.

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Without question, there are some big names currently missing time. Ebron made a very brief appearance at practice last week, but has essentially been sidelined for the entirety of camp. Additionally, Lang’s time on the field has been sporadic as he continues to recover from offseason hip surgery. These are two of the team’s most important players on offense and having them at full health is imperative.

Of course, that’s not all, as Rothstein reminds us of the other players that are currently unable to step on the practice field for a number of other, in many cases, more serious reasons:

"But it’s still something Detroit has to monitor. This is on top of four players still on PUP or NFI lists (Ezekiel Ansah, Taylor Decker, Sam Martin and Corey Robinson) and four players on injured reserve (Kerry Hyder, Mike James, Brandon Chubb and Des Lawrence). Another, linebacker Brandon Copeland, was waived and is expected to revert to injured reserve if he clears waivers Thursday."

This list contains some of the team’s best players whose contributions are absolutely essential in order for the Lions to compete in 2017. Hyder, of course, is the most notable name on this list because after leading the team with eight sacks in 2016, he tore his Achilles in the preseason opener, and will miss the entire season. This is a huge loss for the Lions, and even with Cornelius Washington (who has missed plenty of camp himself) in the mix, the franchise will struggle to fill Hyder’s role.

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Ezekiel Ansah, on the other hand, is arguably the Lions’ best overall player when healthy, but the fifth-year player has seldom enjoyed full health as of late. After an injury-riddled 2016 season that saw his sack total plummet from 14.5 to two, the hope was that he would be ready to regain his Pro Bowl form in 2017. Of course, this perception has changed a bit since training camp began.

Indeed, there has been some concern ever since the star pass-rusher opened training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list with an undisclosed injury, and until he returns to the field, those fears will continue to linger.

There’s not much to say about left tackle Taylor Decker that hasn’t already been said, but after tearing his labrum during OTAs, the former 2016 first-rounder could miss a significant portion of the season, leaving Matthew Stafford‘s blindside protection something of a question mark.

Sam Martin was one of the best punters in the NFL last season, but an ankle injury has sidelined him for all of training camp. While stand-in Kasey Redfern has turned some heads in his absence, the team relies heavily on Martin to flip the field in critical situations, and his importance is much greater than a lot of people realize.

Clearly, there are a lot of question marks surrounding a lot of key contributors. While there are still over three weeks left until the Lions’ opener, it’s clear that injuries and uncertainty have overshadowed the usual positivity that surrounds NFL franchises in August.

Next: NFL Power Rankings 2017: Preseason Week 2

Is it to soon to panic about next season? Of course it is, but it’s impossible to assess the current situation and not feel a reasonable amount of concern. With an incredibly tough schedule on the docket, a playoff return was already looking like a tall order for a team that relied so heavily on late-game heroics in 2016. While there is still reason for optimism and hope, it will be virtually impossible for the Detroit Lions to find success in the season ahead if they can’t find a way to get healthy.