Ameer Abdullah placed on injured reserve, Lions add George Winn to practice squad

The Detroit Lions announced on Wednesday morning that they have placed Ameer Abdullah on the reserve/injured list. The second-year running back left Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans in the second quarter after two hard cuts left him hobbling off the field.

Under the new injured reserve rules, the Lions do not have to designate who they plan on returning from the list, meaning Abdullah could technically return later this year. If Abdullah’s able to return and the Lions decide he’s who they want to bring back, he could return to practice after six weeks have passed and to the active roster in eight weeks. However, the Lions have already placed a few players on IR that could come back, including linebacker Jon Bostic, who could be very valuable to the Lions considering their current linebacker situation.

As for Abdullah’s replacement, the Lions brought in Joique Bell for a visit on Tuesday, and it would make a lot of sense for the team to sign him now that Abdullah’s injury has been confirmed as long-term. However, if the Lions decide to forego the signing, the team could get by with rookie Dwayne Washington as their second-string back, considering he has taken on more and more responsibilities each week.

As a corresponding move, the Lions made the signing of wide receiver Aaron Dobson official. They also made two minor moves to their practice squad. The Lions released receiver Isaac Fruechte and guard Chase Farris from the 10-man team while adding LB Zaviar Gooden and running back George Winn.

Winn’s addition could mean that the Lions will be content going forward with Theo Riddick, Washington and Zach Zenner as their three active backs on gameday.

UPDATE: Jim Caldwell announced in his press conference on Wednesday that Abdullah had surgery. He did not go into detail on what the surgery was for or how long his recovery will be. He did not rule out the possibility of Abdullah returning this season.