Joseph, St. Brown, Raymond, Wright, Sewell, Decker and Zylstra were not spotted at Tuesday’s practice. (Jake May | MLive.com)
— The Detroit Lions were missing seven players at Tuesday’s practice, including two who just returned the previous day.
Safety Kerby Joseph (knee) was not spotted after returning to practice with a hefty brace on his left knee. Tight end Shane Zylstra (ankle) had his 21-day acclimation window opened on Monday, but he was not seen in the window open to reporters.
Joseph has missed the last six games, with with knee issues not going away. The All-Pro safety spoke with reporters in the locker room after returning, and didn’t instill much optimism in his continued issues.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said the injury isn’t going away, and they are just trying to manage it and strengthen the knee. Joseph didn’t seem confident in a fix for the issue, saying “My knee messed up.”
The other players not spotted were offensive tackles Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker, tight end Brock Wright, and wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kalif Raymond. Sewell and Decker getting a rest day for the final practice of the week is nothing new.
Campbell said St. Brown wouldn’t practice, so no surprise there as he tries to work through his ankle sprain. Raymond is not expected to play against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.
Wright has been dealing with a trachea injury suffered in the game against the New York Giants. The Lions are waiting for more opinions and results before knowing what to do with Wright.
Detroit hasn’t shut the door on St. Brown’s chances of playing. Campbell knows that if the All-Pro wideout can play, then he will, especially with so much riding on the line in this matchup.
The Lions rolled with Jameson Williams as WR1 after St. Brown exited and did not return after the first quarter on Thanksgiving. They leaned on Isaac TeSlaa and Tom Kennedy to fill the void left by the team’s top target and Raymond, as well.
With Wright and Sam LaPorta (back) out for the Lions, Ross Dwelley, Anthony Firkser and Zach Horton saw more playing time at tight end. Detroit also leaned on offensive tackle Dan Skipper as it embraced more heavy-set formations.
This week, they have added Giovanni Ricci to the practice squad and claimed Hayden Rucci via the Miami Dolphins on waivers to boost the depth.
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