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Detroit Lions injury updates: Rookie LB Jimmy Rolder out for season
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- Detroit Lions injury updates: Rookie LB Jimmy Rolder out for season
Rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder's season is over.
Rolder, a fourth-round pick out of Michigan, suffered a hamstring injury in the Detroit Lions ' win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 1, that Lions coach Dan Campbell said might require surgery.
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"This is a significant injury," Campbell said. "He'll be out for the season."
Rolder was injured on the same play linebacker Jack Campbell suffered a serious neck injury.
Campbell was injured making a tackle on tight end T.J. Hockenson on the first play of the fourth quarter, when his head hit Hockenson's hip. He was taken off the field on a backboard and by medical cart, and remains in a Detroit hospital.
Rolder fell to the ground away from the play after suffering a non-contact injury.
He saw his most extensive playing time of the season Sunday and made a team-high five tackles, including two for loss, and one sack. Before playing 17 snaps against the Vikings, Rolder, who also missed time in training camp with a hamstring injury, had played just seven defensive snaps all year.
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The Lions lost at least seven players to injury Sunday and could be without several for this week's game against the Miami Dolphins.
Along with Rolder and Jack Campbell, center Cade Mays sprained his ankle, defensive end DJ Wonnum and safety Brian Branch suffered brain injuries, cornerback D.J. Reed suffered a hip injury and running back Jacob Saylors left the game with a neck injury. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown also went to the locker room briefly with what appeared to be a shoulder injury, but returned to finish the game.
Campbell said Mays, Reed and Saylors will not practice Wednesday, and Wonnum and Branch are in concussion protocol. Wonnum and Branch were injured when Branch hit Wonnum in the helmet while trying to make a tackle.
Detroit Lions edge rusher DJ Wonnum (98) is being checked by medical staff after a play against Minnesota Vikings during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026.
Wonnum was taken off the field by medical cart after he appeared disoriented after the play. Campbell said he doesn't know the severity of Wonnum's injury yet, and he said there's "not necessarily" any coaching point to stress with Branch about avoiding those type of plays.
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"I mean, certainly keep your eyes up," Campbell said. "A lot of it, once he's going, he's going for his target and then that target drops. And so that ends up where it goes. You can certainly say go lower, but now you have got to be careful. You start going real low, then you start taking out knees and stuff and you don't want any of that. So just keep your eyes up, see what you hit, try to drop it just a little bit. But listen, this is a violent game, man. There's no way around it. Anyway you cut it, it just is, and it's what we signed up for. And that's hard, but it is what has been signed up for, anybody that plays this game. It's tough."
Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez and Trevor Nowaske are expected to take the majority of snaps at linebacker with Jack Campbell and Rolder out, though Dan Campbell said the team will look to add help at the position in the coming days.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Bluesky , X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions injury updates: Rookie LB Jimmy Rolder out for season
