Quintez Cephus shoulder injury ‘doesn’t look good’, per Lions’ coach Dan Campbell

In Week 1, the Detroit Lions No. 1 wide receiver Tyrell Williams suffered a concussion that would eventually land him on injured reserve. In Week 2, second-year WR Quintez Cephus stepped into his starting role and was one of the Lions' most consistent receiving options on the roster over the last four weeks.

In Week 5, Cephus was making an impact early, securing three receptions for 38 yards, but on a routine play near the end of the half, he was tackled by two Minnesota Vikings and fell awkwardly out of bounds.

Cephus remained on the ground, getting assistance from trainers for some time. He eventually required transport by cart to leave the field, exiting with a towel covering his head and face.

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Typically this body language is a bad sign, and at his post-game news conference, coach Dan Campbell confirmed Cephus’ injury was serious.

“Yeah, it looks like it’s in the shoulder, front area,” Campbell said, “could be his clavicle, could be his shoulder—but it doesn’t look good.”

“Doesn’t look good” is a familiar phrase Campbell has used this season when a player is headed to injured reserve.

KhaDarel Hodge replaced Cephus in the starting lineup, but his production was minimal. Hodge had just one reception on five targets, a 17-yarder late in the fourth quarter, but also converted the Lions’ two-point conversion.

Williams is eligible to return from injured reserve this week. If his concussion was serious enough that it landed him on IR, though, it’s not a certainty that he will be activated. If Williams remains on injured reserve, Hodge, Trinity Benson, or Tom Kennedy (who has been a healthy scratch most of the season, but mainly due to special teams purposes) could find themselves being called upon to start.