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Lions DT Alim McNeill injury news: ACL surgery went well, unsure on recovery timeline
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- Lions DT Alim McNeill injury news: ACL surgery went well, unsure on recovery timeline
Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill knew something was up after he landed awkwardly on the Ford Field turf in a Dec. 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills .
McNeill didn't know the pop he felt in his knee would end his strong fourth season and keep him on the sidelines for the final four games, including the divisional round loss to the Washington Commanders on Saturday night . The day after the loss to the Bills, McNeill was diagnosed with a torn ACL , ending his season and leaving his timeline for a 2025 return undetermined.
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"I had no clue what it was but I knew it was something a little fishy about it, how it was feeling at the time," McNeill said Sunday while while leaning on a set of crutches in the middle of the Lions ' locker room. "... But as far as the season cut short, it was definitely tough. 100% tough. This is the first time I've ever had a season-ending injury and first time having surgery so it was all new stuff to me.
"... Now that we're done, I gotta get back on the field as fast as I can. I'm not gonna rush or anything but I'm gonna push myself for sure."
Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill (54) takes the field before kickoff against Green Bay Packers at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024.
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The Lions lost a handul of defensive starters, including McNeill, to season-ending injuries during their 15-2 regular season. Detroit also lost edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (leg), cornerback Carlton Davis III (jaw), linebacker Derrick Barnes (knee), edge rusher Marcus Davenport (triceps) and, finally, cornerback Amik Robertson to a broken arm early in Saturday's game.
With his right leg wrapped and wearing a brace from his mid-thigh to his lower calf, McNeill said he was not sure what his recovery timeline looks like. A typical ACL recovery can take between nine months and a year depending on the rehabilitation process, meaning McNeill could return by September, or not until December or January.
"As far as time wise, I have no clue," McNeill said. "I'm just taking it day by day right now. I'm just going through the process right now."
He said his first surgery to repair his ACL went well and that he is confident in making a full recovery. The Lions extended McNeill to a four-year, $97 million contract that could keep him in Detroit through the 2028 season.
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"Everything is on the correct path and then some," McNeill said.
He said it was tough to sit at home and watch the Lions compete without him as they clinched the first No. 1 seed in franchise history and then get bounced in the divisional round. In 14 games, McNeill had 25 tackles, seven for loss, and 3½ sacks as a starter in the middle of the defensive line alongside D.J. Reader and Levi Onwuzurike .
"Definitely tough, not what anybody expected this year," McNeill said. "We put in a lot of work to do the goals we set out for this year and, you know, things take a different turn and we're kind of here now. It happens. It's definitely tough, kind of hard to swallow. Nobody knows what to think about it really."
McNeill said his focus over the coming offseason months will be to strengthen his knee and try to get back on the field as fast as possible without compromising his recovery. He said he wouldn't be looking forward to offseason training activities, like offensive tackle Dan Skipper said in the locker room on Saturda y, because he has a long road of rehab ahead.
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"As far as OTAs and all that stuff coming up, individually, I'm just trying to get stronger every day," McNeill said. "But as far as the team, we have the same goals next year. It's always going to be the same goal and it's every team's goal — to win the Super Bowl.
"We're just going to put in that much more work to be that more prepared. So there's no blueprint to it and there's no hiding from it. You have to put in the work to get there and that's just what we are going to do."
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Alim McNeill injury update: Lions DT unsure on ACL recovery timeline
