Ezekiel Ansah officially out for Week 7 vs. Dolphins

Detroit Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah has been officially downgraded to out for the Lions’ Week 7 match up against the Miami Dolphins. The team announced the status change on their twitter account Saturday afternoon.

The defensive end has only played in one game this season. He recorded a sack and four total tackles against the New York Jets in Week 1 but left the game with an injury in the second quarter. He has not returned to the lineup since but many were hopeful that he would be ready to play after the teams Week 6 bye.

Ansah has been a staple of the Lions injury report since the Week 1 injury. The shoulder injury he suffered in Week 1 has forced him to be either limited or absent from practice for over a month now.

He was the Lions first-round pick in 2013. The BYU product recorded 8.0 sacks in his rookie season and set a career high with 14.5 in 2015. He recorded 12 in his contract year last season but inconsistent play and constant injuries led to him being franchise tagged this offseason.

This will be the 10th game that the defender has missed in the past three years. Ansah has recorded 45 sacks in his 74 career games as a Lion.

Fellow defensive ends Kerry Hyder and Romeo Okwara will once again be tasked with filling the role of the former Pro Bowler. They have done a great job in doing so thus far, including a two-sack performance from Okwara in Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers.