The Detroit Lions have Super Bowl aspirations for the second straight year, but one thing that can make it unravel quickly is injuries. The Lions went 15-2 a year ago but a whopping 16 players on injured reserve saw their season come to an end with an upset to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Time has passed since reality came crashing down and all head coach Dan Campbell can think about is the depth of his team. It creates some tough decisions as he finalizes his 53-man roster ahead of Tuesday’s cutdown day and could have some players on the chopping block in favor of those at less durable positions.
This includes the linebacker position, which is already dealing with Malcolm Rodriguez’s recovery from a torn ACL. While Rodriguez will begin the year on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, the Lions suffered another blow with a key injury in Saturday’s preseason finale against the Houston Texans that could open the door for another cut candidate to make the roster.
Ezekiel Turner’s Injury Sets Up Trevor Nowaske to Make Lions Roster
The Lions' latest injury occurred in the third quarter when Ezekiel Turner left with a lower right leg injury. Turner, who was battling for a spot at linebacker entering the game, was helped off the field by trainers and taken to the locker room by a medical cart and told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press that he possibly tore his Achilles after the game.
Achilles’ injuries are easy to diagnose, so there’s a good bet that Turner will miss extended time. While that’s unfortunate for the 29-year-old, it opens the door for someone else to make the active roster.
A good candidate would be fellow linebacker Trevor Nowaske. An undrafted free agent who spent part of the 2023 season and the entire 2024 season with Detroit, Nowaske made nine total tackles in the loss to the Texans and also impressed Campbell with his ability to play stack linebacker and getting calls into the defense.
“I did think [Nowaske] played at a high level today,” Campbell said via Benjamin Raven of MLIve. “You could see the physical, but I thought, man, he was in it mentally – like he was pretty locked in. I thought he – which look, some of that is raw for him playing the stack-backer, and he was running the MIKE, middle linebacker – making the calls. And I just thought he played a pretty cerebral game too, which is good to see, which means he’s growing and developing.”
On an afternoon where many on the roster bubble failed to stand out, Nowaske was an outlier. With Turner’s injury, it increases his chances of joining a linebacker room that could include Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Zach Cunningham, Alex Anzalone and Grant Stuard and potentially give Detroit the depth it needs to contend again in 2025.