Melifonwu (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Houston.
Melifonwu has been on injured reserve since late September due to an ankle injury he suffered in Week 1, but his 21-day practice window to return from IR opened Wednesday, per Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site. He was a full practice participant all week, and while he won't suit up Sunday, he has good chance at playing in Week 11 against Jacksonville on Sunday, Nov. 17.
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Lions' Ifeatu Melifonwu: Shifts to IR
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Melifonwu (ankle) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, Justin Rogers of DetroitFootball.net reports.
Melifonwu has yet to appear in a game this season after sustaining an ankle injury during a Lions practice in early September. The Syracuse product will now be forced to miss Detroit's next four contests after moving to IR. Expect Brandon Joseph to serve as Detroit's top reserve safety while Menifonwu continues recovering from his ankle issue.
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Lions' Ifeatu Melifonwu: Out again Week 3
Rotowire
Melifonwu (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Arizona.
Melifonwu continues to nurse an ankle injury that has prevented him from taking the field so far this season. The safety didn't practice in any capacity this week, so it's unclear how close he may be to making a return. Melifonwu's next chance to make his season debut will come on Monday Night Football against Seattle on Sept. 30.
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Lions' Ifeatu Melifonwu: Doubtful for opener
Rotowire
Melifonwu (ankle) is doubtful for Detroit's season opener against the Rams after logging limited practices all week, Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com reports.
Melifonwu has been unable to log a full practice this week, and he'll now likely miss out on the Lions' first game of the year. The 6-foot-2 safety's status should be revealed closer to kickoff, but a doubtful tag is not promising. He recorded 33 tackles (24 solo), 3.0 sacks, eight passes defended, two interceptions and one forced fumble in the 2023 season, which was his third with Detroit.
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Lions' Ifeatu Melifonwu: Status for Sunday in question
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Melifonwu (undisclosed) is the only injury concern for the Lions in Week 1, head coach Dan Campbell stated Monday, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Melifonwu's injury details are unclear other than the fact he's considered questionable for Week 1 at this time. Melifonwu's practice status in the days ahead should shed some light on his potential availability as the team's season opener approaches.
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Lions' Ifeatu Melifonwu: Will suit up
Rotowire
Melifonwu (hand) is active Sunday against the Bears.
Melifonwu dealt with a hand injury throughout the week, but he was able to log back-to-back full practices Thursday and Friday and will now be good to take the field Sunday.
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Lions' Ifeatu Melifonwu: Showing well at safety
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Melifonwu stood out at safety during recent minicamp practices, John Maakaron of Sports Illustrated reports.
Melifonwu, who began converting from cornerback to safety last season, will need to keep the momentum going into training camp in order to claim a significant role behind Tracy Walker, Kerby Joseph and 2023 second-round pick Brian Branch.
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Lions' Ifeatu Melifonwu: Will miss another game
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Melifonwu (ankle) has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Dolphins, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.
Melifonwu suffered the injury during the team's Week 5 loss to New England and will be out for the second consecutive game. He was unable to practice in any capacity throughout the week and also had the team's Week 6 bye to recover, so the issue appears to be significant.
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Lions' Ifeatu Melifonwu: Won't face Cowboys
Rotowire
Melifonwu (ankle) is out for Sunday's matchup against the Cowboys.
Melifonwu exited Detroit's Week 5 matchup against New England with an ankle injury and failed to practice in any capacity this week. He's managed to suit up for only two games this season, as he was previously bothered by a hamstring injury.
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Lions' Ifeatu Melifonwu: Full participant Wednesday
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Melifonwu (hamstring) was a full participant during Wednesday's practice.
Melifonwu missed the first two games of the campaign due to a hamstring issue, but it appears he'll be available to make his season debut in Week 3. As a rookie, the 2021 third-round pick recorded 15 tackles across seven appearances, and he figures to garner a similar backup role behind Tracy Walker and DeShon Elliott in 2022.
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Lions' Ifeatu Melifonwu: Out against Eagles
Rotowire
Melifonwu (hamstring) is inactive Week 1 against the Eagles.
The second-year reserve safety had entered the week with a "doubtful" tag after logging limited practices each time out, so it's no surprise to see Melifonwu on the inactive list. Instead, Kerby Joseph would now appear to be in line to serve as the backup to starting strong safety Tracy Walker.
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Lions' Ifeatu Melifonwu: Dealing with undisclosed injury
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Melifonwu missed the end of the Lions' offseason workouts due to an undisclosed injury, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.
While the nature of Melifonwu's situation isn't clear, the Lions don't appear to be concerned that he's dealing with a severe injury. What's more clear is that the 23-year-old will be playing a lot of safety this fall after being drafted as a cornerback in the third round last year, only to practice at safety throughout this offseason. Given the number of promising young cornerbacks on the roster compared to the depth Detroit has at safety, this position change could be his best path to consistent playing time, especially if Jeff Okudah (Achilles) can get healthy.
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Lions' Ifeatu Melifonwu: Activated for Week 15
Rotowire
Melifonwu (undisclosed) was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday.
Melifonwu missed the team's Week 14 loss to the Broncos, though he should be ready to retake the field Sunday against the Cardinals. He's managed to play in only three games this season due to a thigh injury, and has been limited primarily to a special teams role when active.
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Lions' Ifeatu Melifonwu: Returns to practice Wednesday
Rotowire
Melifonwu (thigh) was designated to return from injured reserve Wednesday.
Melifonwu returned to practice Wednesday, which starts the 21-day window for him to be added to the active roster. If he isn't added, he will revert back to injured reserve for the remainder of the season. The rookie cornerback hasn't played since Week 2, but it appears his return to action may be on the horizon.
