Despite an overwhelming number of defensive injuries in 2024, almost all the injured players are expected to be ready for the opener on September 7 at Lambeau Field. The exceptions are Alim McNeill and Malcolm Rodriguez who had late-season ACL tears.
Now that the schedule has been released, let’s take a look at the specific game that we can expect to see their return. Looking at the return-to-play data of recent NFL players with late-season ACL’s, we can anticipate a 10-11 month gap between live game action.
Here are some recent cases. The first date is the ACL injury, the second date is the next appearance in an NFL game, and finally the length of absence.
If there is significant associated damage (which is not suspected with McNeill or Rodriguez), the timeline can stretch beyond a year:
For all you eternal optimists, seek inspiration from this former Lion:
CONCLUSION
Based on recent data, a 10 to 11 month return-to-play is expected. I would expect to see McNeill and Rodriguez closer to the 11-month mark for both player and team reasons.
With Rodriguez who is in the final year of his rookie contract, he will still be able to show many games of proof of recovery with a return at the 11-month mark. With McNeill who signed an big extension last offseason which carries through 2028, there is no financial/contractual reason to rush a return. McNeill does not have any per-game active bonuses for 2025.
For the team whose goals are firmly planted now in playoff success, a longer recovery timeline increases the chances that both players will be healthy for the end-of-season and playoffs. From the team’s own recent history of handling ACL’s, Jameson Williams took nearly the full 11 months.
OUTLOOK
Here are their target return games with an 11-month return-to-play:
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: When should Detroit expect Alim McNeill and Malcolm Rodriguez to return from injuries?
Reporting by Jimmy Liao, MD, Lions Wire / Lions Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
