Tahir Whitehead on knee injury: ‘All is well’

The Detroit Lions got another injury scare on Friday, when starting linebacker Tahir Whitehead disappeared from the game in the first quarter and was later declared out with a knee injury. Sometimes when a player is declared out, it can be a sign the injury is serious. However, Whitehead went on Twitter following the game and seemed to diffuse any worry about the injury.

Responding to this Tweet:

Whitehead responded:

Obviously, Whitehead is using very vague wording here and it doesn’t mean he’s completely healthy. However, he does seem to be implying that this won’t be a long-term injury.

After the game, head coach Jim Caldwell, unsurprisingly, didn’t give an update on Whitehead’s knee. “I wouldn’t know exactly until we have an opportunity tomorrow to sit down with the doctors and kind of see where he is,” Caldwell said.

Whitehead played three series with the first-team defense against the New England Patriots. The last play he participated in was New England’s two-point conversion that pushed the score to 21-0. Via the TV broadcast, Whitehead didn’t appear to be limping off the field nor was he showing any signs of discomfort.

All signs point to Whitehead avoiding a major injury, which is good news for a defense that struggled mightily on Friday. The Lions’ linebacking corps is extremely young, and while Whitehead has his struggles, his experience within the system could be key this year.

We’ll continue to monitor Whitehead’s situation and provide any updates if the team announces anything further.