The Detroit Lions are just days away from opening their regular season schedule in what will be a must-see matchup against their NFC North rival, the Green Bay Packers.
While the final injury report will not be released until closer to kickoff on Sunday afternoon, there were a few notable absences from Detroit's practice session on Tuesday afternoon. Of those players not spotted on the practice field, reserve running back Sione Vaki was one who stuck out like a sore thumb, given the issues he dealt with earlier in the preseason.
#Lions rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa was not spotted at the portion of Tuesday’s practice that was open to the media. Ailment unknown.
— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) September 2, 2025
Also absent: RB Sione Vaki and LB Trevor Nowaske
Lions RB Sione Vaki Absent Again From Practice Leading up to Week 1
After dealing with a nagging hamstring injury that forced him to miss the first two games on the Lions' preseason schedule, it appears as though Vaki is still not back to 100% with regard to his health. This could be something that is felt by Detroit's offense if he's starting Week 1 banged up, as the season is going to take its toll, so this isn't a great place for the young RB to start from.
With Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery healthy, Vaki potentially being sidelined due to injury might not be the end of the world for Dan Campbell and the Lions offense. The second-year rusher out of Utah was selected in the fourth round of last year's draft for a reason, though. Detroit expects him to be a contributor in the backfield.
If, God forbid, one of Gibbs or Montgomery were forced to miss any amount of time, Vaki would be the most likely to be elevated into a larger role. While Craig Reynolds did enough during the preseason to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, it would be surprising to see Campbell and the offensive coaching staff lean on him over Vaki if the decision had to be made.
It is still far too early to be concerned about Vaki's health and the impact it could have on what the Lions hope is a season that ends with a run to the Super Bowl. If fans continue to see him in and out of the lineup on the practice field in the coming weeks, however, that attitude could change in a big way.
With the amount of punishment that running backs take every week, teams that expect to contend for championships cannot rely on unproven commodities and think they will see the same results.