The #2 injury story of the year is the totality of the Lions defense which took massive losses over the course of the year. Both quality and quantity of players were impacted.
No. 10: Alex Anzalone’s forearm
No. 9: Ifeatu Melifonwu’s turbulent year
No. 8: Christian Mahogany’s delayed debut
No. 7: James Houston’s ill-fated comeback
No. 6: David Montgomery’s mysterious knee
No. 5: Carlton Davis jaw fracture
No. 4: The fortuitous offense
No. 3: Alim McNeill’s knee
The team was impressively able to overcome the numerous absences during the regular season to still earn a 15-2 record and the #1 seed. But the injuries caught up to them in the playoffs, as the defense could not slow down the Commanders.
Here is the list of key defensive players who missed time during the season:
PLAYERS WHO WERE OUT FOR THE PLAYOFF GAME
PLAYERS WHO WERE HURT DURING THE PLAYOFF GAME
PLAYERS WHO MISSED SIGNIFICANT TIME DURING THE REGULAR SEASON
DID ANY STARTERS GET THROUGH THE SEASON CLEAN?
Yes, there were a couple. Kerby Joseph and Jack Campbell played all 18 games without any signs of significant injury. But it was revealed recently that Campbell ended up needing hip surgery after the season. While he reassuringly stated that the surgery was minor, his status during training camp will be worth watching.
Intriguingly, Joseph had hip surgery in the previous offseason, and then recovered nicely to have an All-Pro season. Lions fans can hope that Campbell follows that same path.
IMPACT ON 2025 SEASON
Last year’s calamitous number of injuries will impact the 2025 season as well. These players may not be ready for the start of the 2025 season:
While the rest of the injured defensive players are expected to be ready for the 2025 season, there are still some lingering concerns. Many players did not finish last season due to injury which means there is no evidence of quality of recovery. Residual effects are always possible, and there is no guarantee of a return to prior level of production.
On a positive note, the law of probabilities gives good odds that the 2025 season will be a much healthier one for the Lions defense.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Top 10 Lions injury news from 2024 – No. 2: Calamitous number of defensive injuries
Reporting by Jimmy Liao, MD, Lions Wire / Lions Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
