Golden Tate says finger is not broken, no longer wearing splint

Golden Tate appears to be fine after a minor scare during Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. During the game the Detroit Lions receiver immediately grabbed his hand and took off his glove after a pass bounced off his fingertips. Though Tate returned to the game and caught several more passes after the injury, there was concern after he showed up in the locker room with a splint on.

But on Thursday, Tate squashed any sense of doubt. “My hand feels great, been catching with it great. It feels good,” Tate told the Detroit Free Press. Tate was no longer wearing his splint in the locker room and said he doesn’t anticipate wearing a special glove for Monday night’s game against the New York Giants.

Tate also made clear that his finger was not fractured.

Tate is an integral part of the Lions offense. In Week 1, he saw 12 targets that he turned into 10 catches for 107 yards. Last year against the Giants, Tate pulled in eight catches for 122 yards.

So while it appears Tate should be ready to go, we’ll have to wait for the first official injury report of the week to be released for more information. The injury report should be out around 4 p.m. ET on Thursday afternoon.