Story by
Alex Anzalone injury update: Detroit Lions LB casts doubt on return vs Vikings
- Story by
- Alex Anzalone injury update: Detroit Lions LB casts doubt on return vs Vikings
Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone repeated a part of the question.
Do you feel like you can trust your forearm 100%?
"A hundred percent?" Anzalone said. "No."
The Lions' veteran linebacker has not played since fracturing his left forearm in a Nov. 17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars , and while he practiced in full Thursday for the first time since the injury, Anzalone cast doubt on his availability for this week's game against the Minnesota Vikings with that one-word answer.
Advertisement
Anzalone said he probably won't feel 100% until the offseason and acknowledged he doesn't need to be 100% in order to return from an injury that's already cost him six games.
Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone (34) tackles Tennessee Titans running back Julius Chestnut (36) during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024.
But as he explained the collaboration that will go into deciding his availability for Sunday's NFC North winner-take-all showdown with the Vikings, he gave those in attendance the feeling he might not yet be ready to return while keeping the door open to play.
The Lions and Vikings are tied atop the NFC North standings with 14-2 records. The winner of Sunday's game wins the division and will be the No. 1 seed and get a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs, while the loser will be the five seed and go on the road in the wild-card round.
Advertisement
GOOD ENOUGH: Aaron Glenn: 'You're damn right' Detroit Lions can win Super Bowl with this defense
"Obviously, the doctors and the trainers, they kind of go through what the risks are of waiting a week, waiting two weeks, going through practice and maybe let it spend next week or the week after that or this week (healing)," Anzalone said. "So I think that for me personally, I think it's like, OK, say if something did happen, would I be OK not playing in the Super Bowl? So I think that that's kind of the decision I have to make in my own head and is it worth it and how do I feel going over these next few practices and go from there. Cause I haven't practiced in six weeks, so I'm just using my arm and seeing how it goes."
Anzalone said he has a metal plate under the big scar in his swollen left forearm, which he showed to a reporter Thursday.
Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone celebrates a play against the Raiders during the first half at Ford Field on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023.
He practiced with a carbon-fiber cast on his arm and will wear that when he returns to the field.
Advertisement
Initially, Lions coach Dan Campbell said Anzalone would miss six to eight weeks with his injury. This Sunday will mark seven weeks since the injury, and a little over six weeks since surgery.
"I'm looking forward to getting him back out there," Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said Thursday. "I can't say if he'll be out there this week. He's getting himself back, acclimated to how we do things and practicing. So, hopefully we get him back really soon."
The Lions have missed Anzalone's presence in the middle of their defense, which has allowed 30 or more points in three of its past four games. Backups Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Ben Niemann , Trevor Nowaske and Kwon Alexander , and before they were released, David Long Jr. and Jamal Adams , have logged heavy minutes at linebacker in Anzalone's absence, and last week, the group struggled mightily against the play-action pass.
Anzalone said it hasn't been "crazy bad" to miss time "because I knew I was going to come back at some point and especially when it mattered." And he said being able to play in the Super Bowl is "important" to him if the Lions make it that far.
Advertisement
ANOTHER KEY DEFENSIVE PIECE: Kerby Joseph Pro Bowl snub: Detroit Lions safety not sweating it, focused on Super Bowl
"We just got to get there and getting the 1-seed will help," he said.
At some point this week, Anzalone, Campbell and team doctors will get together to map out his return.
Anzalone said the two factors that will weigh most heavily in the decision are how much more healing will take place if he waits till the postseason to return and how safe it is for him to play this week.
"There's always a risk," he said. "I'm not going to go through the science of it, but it's just one of those things where it's at a certain point you just weigh the risk and go from there."
Advertisement
Dave Birkett is the author of the new book, " Detroit Lions : An Illustrated Timeline." Order your copy here. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Alex Anzalone injury update: Lions LB casts doubt on return vs Vikings
