The Detroit Lions were one of the four teams not in action on Sunday as they had a bye for Week 8. The bye came at the right time for the Lions, who were banged up on defense and leaned on practice squad players in the secondary to bring home the win in Week 7.
However, as they prepare to come back to the practice facility this week, the Lions received some outstanding news regarding veteran linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on Monday that Detroit is designating Rodriguez to return from injured reserve, and he’ll start practicing this week.
Schultz also added that Detroit is expecting the veteran defender to make his regular-season debut on Sunday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11.
Lions LB Malcolm Rodriguez Reportedly Expected to Return in Week 11
If you’re a Lions fan, this is great news as Rodriguez plays not only a key role on defense, but is one of the better special teams contributors.
Before going down with an ACL injury last November, Rodriguez was playing well, as he suited up in 10 games and made six starts. The former sixth-round pick had 43 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, two sacks, a pass deflection, and a fumble recovery.
Rodriguez gave up his fair share of completions in pass coverage last year – 16 for 103 yards (19 targets), but only allowed 6.4 yards per reception and had an 89.3 passer rating, which are both career bests.
And we haven’t even mentioned his play on special teams, which has made him a fan favorite among Lions fans. The Lions already have adequate special teams contributors in Ty Summers, Grant Stuard, and Trevor Nowaske. Zach Cunningham was also part of that group, but he was placed on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury.
Special teams coverage units get overlooked by some fans, but they’re important in the overall grand scheme of things. That said, having Rodriguez back on the field in some capacity in the coming weeks will give them a much-needed boost.