| The injuries keep racking up for the Lions, who could be without DT Nick Fairley this week in Arizona. (US Presswire) |
Like many NFL teams, the Lions’ attitude when it comes to injuries calls for the “next man up” to be able to step in and fill an injured player’s place on the depth chart.
At the rate Lions starters are getting banged up, however, there aren’t many healthy men left in the locker room.
Coach Jim Schwartz confirmed on Monday that defensive tackle Nick Fairley was not able to finish Sunday’s loss to the Packers because of a shoulder injury. He also confirmed that tight end Brandon Pettigrew, who left the locker room at Lambeau Field with his left foot in a walking boot, was set to undergo further tests to determine the extent of an ankle injury.
Schwartz wouldn’t offer a prognosis for either player, but he conceded the fact that Pettigrew wasn’t able to finish the game wasn’t good news.
“It wasn’t a good sign that [Pettigrew] wasn’t able to finish because there’s a guy that’s had some injuries and he’s played through some stuff,” Schwartz said. “He’s always done a good job [of playing through pain].”
The injuries to Fairley and Pettigrew further limit the available talent of a D-line and receiving corps that have already been affected by injury this season. If Pettigrew were unable to play in Week 15, he would join Titus Young, Ryan Broyles and Nate Burleson as the fourth player in Detroit’s regular receiving rotation to miss time due to injury.
Fairley’s injury could leave the Lions very thin at defensive tackle heading into their matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, because fellow DT Corey Williams appears to have suffered a setback in his knee rehab. Williams had been limited in practice after midseason knee surgery, but he returned to the lineup in Week 13 before being ruled out again against Green Bay Sunday night.
Schwartz wouldn’t confirm whether the team was considering placing Williams and safety Louis Delmas -- who also missed Sunday’s game because of knee issues -- on injured reserve, but he did admit that the fact two of Detroit’s most dedicated players couldn’t face Green Bay was not an encouraging sign for their status this week.
“Neither [Delmas nor Williams] obviously was able to play, which says a little bit about where those guys are, because those are two of the toughest players that I’ve ever been around,” Schwartz said. “Those are two guys that have proven time and time again that they can play with a lot of pain that other people can’t.”
A long-term injury to Pettigrew would see Will Heller, who had four catches for 21 yards against the Packers, move into the No. 2 TE slot behind Tony Scheffler. If both Williams and Fairley are unavailable, it would leave the Lions with Sammie Hill and Ndamukong Suh as the team’s only two healthy DTs.
Follow Lions reporter John Kreger on Twitter at @CBSLions and @JohnKreger.