My previous OTA article focused on players who had full participation at OTA. Now, let’s review the full list of players who had limited to no participation according to Dan Campbell. Some of these players were expected to be limited; others were more of a surprise. The players are listed in order of most surprisingly limited to least.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR
This established All-Pro doesn’t need much work, if any, at OTA. But St. Brown revealed a surprise medical reason for his limitation stating he had offseason knee surgery to “clean some stuff up”. This could mean a common arthroscopic knee procedure to trim frayed cartilage and clean out loose bodies in the knee. It’s unlikely to be a short-term issue, but any cartilage damage has the potential to cause problems down the road. Good news is he stated he should be ready for the start of training camp.
I have three videos last year of injuries to his knee area – the most suspicious of which may be to the left knee in week 17 vs the 49ers. He played through all these injuries and didn’t miss a game all year.
Jack Campbell, LB
During OTA, he disclosed a minor hip operation this offseason that shouldn’t be a concern going forward. The surgery is a surprise as Campbell played in all 18 games last year without a hint of a hip issue.
Josh Paschal, EDGE
Paschal only missed one game last year with a right knee issue, so his limitation is unexpected. This is a big year for him as he enters the fourth and final year of his rookie contract.
Brodric Martin, DT (Right knee hyperextension – Aug 24, 2024)
Maybe Martin is limited still by the right knee injury from last preseason. Or maybe there is something new going on. Either way, it’s not ideal for this 2023 3rd-rounder who enters a possible make-or-break season. Last year, he missed half the season with the knee injury and only played 24 defensive snaps.
Sione Vaki, RB
During his rookie season, he missed just one game with a right knee in Week 9. Since he still has much to prove on the field, his limited participation raises eyebrows.
Terrion Arnold, CB
It’s unknown the reason for his limitation, but there are no signs of concern at this point. Maybe he has already earned some veteran rest days after a solid rookie year. During that rookie year, Arnold missed only one game due to a groin issue. He also had minor injuries to his right foot in Week 18, a finger dislocation in Week 2, and a right knee issue in Week 3. Coming out of college, he was medically clean.
Myles Adams, DT
This 27-year-old, 7th-year player has been medically clean in limited action throughout his career. The reason for his limited participation is unknown.
Kenny Yeboah, TE
This free agent signing had a possible core muscle injury in 2024. Sometimes these injuries necessitate surgery, so that’s something to consider going forward.
Mekhi Wingo, DT (Right knee meniscus – Nov 28, 2024)
The lack of OTA participation is a slight disappointment as a presumed meniscus repair could have been ready by now. This 2nd-year player’s status for the start of training camp may be the biggest uncertainty on the team.
Brian Branch, S
Branch missed one game due to a concussion, but otherwise played in every game. While he was highly reliable, he did appear to be battling through multiple minor right leg issues in the second half of last season. This Pro-Bowler has nothing to prove, so his OTA limitation may be just load management.
Miles Frazier, OG
This 5th-round rookie was healthy coming out of college with no concerns. Dan Campbell mentioned many times that the rookies are being handled very conservatively prior to training camp. Thus, a rookie limitation at OTA isn’t worth a second glance at this point. It is somewhat curious though, that while Frazier was limited, his fellow OG rookie, Tate Ratledge, was a full participant.
Isaac TeSlaa, WR
This 3rd-round rookie was healthy coming out of college with no active issues. As previously mentioned, the rookies are being managed very conservatively prior to training camp, so there is minimal concern here.
Levi Onwuzurike, DT (L5-S1 spinal fusion – 2022)
Last season, Onwuzurike displayed high availability by playing 17 of 18 games. His missed game was due to a left hamstring which isn’t a concern. He did also have suspected minor right ankle and right knee injuries during the season. It’s unknown the reason for his limitation at OTA, but ongoing load management for his spinal fusion would be prudent.
David Montgomery, RB (Right MCL – Dec 15, 2024)
While I had expected Montgomery to participate fully, his limited availability isn’t a big surprise coming off his knee injury that involved at least the MCL. He also doesn’t need any work being an established, 28-year-old RB.
DJ Reader, DT
The reason for his OTA limitation is unknown, but load management makes sense. Reader enters the season at age 31 with a history of bilateral quad tendon tears. The other consideration is that he missed one game with a left shoulder in Week 14, but reassuringly stated this offseason that he did not have any surgeries.
Tyleik Williams, DT (Left hamstring – Mar 26, 2025)
During OTA, Dan Campbell stated that Williams was still rehabbing. So he is dealing with something, presumably the hamstring from his pro day. With still over a month until training camp, he will likely be ready by then.
Derrick Barnes, LB (Right MCL/PCL – Sep 22, 2024)
Barnes was seen doing at least some work at OTA which is a reassuring sign. He still needs to build strength in the leg, but I expect him to be ready for training camp.
Alex Anzalone, LB
Anzalone and Ragnow were the only two players who did not attend OTA. While Ragnow’s reason was retirement, Anzalone’s definitely is not – at least based on his recent Instagram post showing high-intensity workouts. There are rumors that his absence is business-related as he enters his final contract year at age 30. The forearm fracture suffered last season is not a concern.
Khalil Dorsey, CB (Right tibia/fibula fracture – Dec 15, 2024)
Being limited at OTA was expected as he’s only six months post injury. He has a decent chance to be ready for the start of the season, but a stint on PUP (physically unable to perform list) wouldn’t be a surprise – even if only for roster management reasons.
Malcolm Rodriguez, LB (Right ACL, Nov 28, 2024)
Dan Campbell offered an estimated November return for Rodriguez which aligns with a fairly typical 11-month ACL timeline. Expect him to start training camp on PUP. His target return date may be November 2 vs the Vikings.
Alim McNeill, DT (Right ACL – Dec 15, 2024)
While every injury and player are different, we can expect McNeill’s return roughly about two weeks later than Rodriguez’s. Expect him to start camp on PUP with a possible target return date of November 16 vs the Eagles.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions OTA health recap: Limited participants and their outlooks for 2025
Reporting by Jimmy Liao, MD, Lions Wire / Lions Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
