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Do not worry about Ziggy Ansah starting Detroit Lions training camp on the PUP list

By Ash Thompson

DETROIT MI - NOVEMBER 22: Ezekiel Ansah #94 of the Detroit Lions signals for a safety during the fourth quarter of the game against the Oakland Raiders on November 22, 2015 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions defeated the Raiders 18-13. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
DETROIT MI - NOVEMBER 22: Ezekiel Ansah #94 of the Detroit Lions signals for a safety during the fourth quarter of the game against the Oakland Raiders on November 22, 2015 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions defeated the Raiders 18-13. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
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The Sky is not falling. Ziggy ansah is on the PUP list, but that’s not really a big deal. It’s better that he misses time now than later.

Every year there is a big stink made when a few players start training camp on the physically unable to perform list. The words “physically unable to perform” are scary. That certainly does not sound promising for a player’s prospects in 2018. The Detroit Lions best pass rusher, Ziggy Ansah, is starting training camp on the PUP list.

It really is not a huge deal, however. Generally, this is a precautionary measure. If a player does not start on the PUP, they have to be perfectly healthy. If a player has a hangnail to start training camp, a team might put them on the PUP until it heals without an infection. If that player has to miss games as their hand heals,and the team has not had them on the PUP, the team has to keep them on the active roster or put them on IR and lose at least half the season.

In Ansah’s case particularly, there is reason for the team to err on the side of caution cautious. This is a player that has a history soft tissue issues. A high ankle sprain essentially cost Ansah his entire 2016 season. He dressed for 13 games, but he was incapable of making any impact because he couldn’t push off with one leg. In 2017, Ansah played through knee, ankle, and back issues.

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Soft tissues often occur when a player ramps up their activity level, or drastically changes the type of physical workout they are doing. The additional, or merely different type of stress can cause a chronic issue that never really goes away during the year. The team needs Ansah from September to February (hopefully); not in July. On the Pup, Ansah can get his cardio down, and slowly accelerate his physical activity under control.

They can also occur randomly. Is it worth risking Ansah’s season during the first week of training camp? Having Leo Koloamatangi roll onto Ansah’s leg in one of the early training camp practices does nobody any good.

There is one player on the entire Detroit Lions roster that is more important to the team’s success or failure in 2018 than Ziggy Ansah. Without Ansah, the Lions pass rush is going to be a dumpster fire. There is a reason they used the franchise tag to keep him here, but were unwilling to commit huge money to a long term deal. Injuries are that reason.

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It is far too early for us to be concerned about a player on the PUP list. As I stated earlier, the PUP is a mechanism for teams to hold players out, without losing them for the season. It makes perfect sense for the team to hold Ansah out of action for the immediate future.

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