Lions linebacker Ernie Sims returned to practice on Monday as his bone bruise evidently is no longer bothering him very much. Sims had missed practice recently after landing awkwardly following an attempt at a pass deflection. When the injury first happened there was a brief moment where everyone was worried about how seriously Sims was injured, but he thankfully got up quickly and left the field under his own power. As an MRI would reveal the following day, Sims had a bone bruise that wasn't too severe as he is now able to practice again.
He popped a couple of people. On one play, he smacked running back Tatum Bell and stopped him cold. The crunch could be heard across the field, to the fans’ delight.
“I got a little stress out of me,” Sims said.
Sims said he still would not play in the exhibition opener Thursday night against the New York Giants.
There is absolutely no reason for Sims to play on Thursday, so I'm glad he'll be sitting that game out. With only a few days of practice to get ready for the game, there is no point to risk further injury with Detroit's best linebacker.