Lions’ K Austin Siebert, WR Quintez Cephus likely out for year; Swift may be ‘a week away’

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell addressed some of the team’s long-term injuries on Friday, giving some key updates on players we haven’t seen take the field for quite some time.

There was a report from Kicker Central that Lions kicker Austin Seibert had undergone surgery and was out indefinitely. Campbell confirmed the report and added that Seibert will not be returning to play this season.

“No he won’t be (returning),” Campbell said. “He’ll be done for this year.”

The Lions have since signed rookie kicker Riley Patterson to the 53-man roster and added Aldrick Rosas to the practice squad. Each has started a game for the Lions in back-to-back weeks, and special teams coordinator Dave Fipp has indicated that they will continue to play whichever kicker has earned the job that week in practice.

“We’ll kinda see them both kick this week and then we’ll make a decision later in the week then,” Fipp said on Thursday.

Both Patterson (two extra points) and Rosas (one FG, one extra point) have made both of their kicks for Detroit this season.

Additionally, Campbell gave an update on second-year wide receiver Quintez Cephus, who broke his collarbone earlier in the year. While at the time it sounded like there was an outside chance Cephus could return this season, Campbell pretty much ended any speculation there by saying his season is almost certainly over, too.

“I think it’ll be highly unlikely (he returns),” Campbell said. “But both of those players (Cephus and Seibert) we feel very good about in 2022, being healed up and ready to go.”

Campbell also gave an update on top running back D’Andre Swift, who will not play this week against the Vikings due to a shoulder injury. The Lions head coach is optimistic Swift could return next week, though.

“Right now I feel like he may be a week away. I’m hoping that, as a matter of fact,” Campbell said. “He’s still sore, but he’s getting better. He’s improving, but we’ll see where it goes here. We’ll know a lot more tomorrow. You see how he feels day in and day out, but as of right now, he’s pretty tender.”

Campbell also made it clear that despite there only being six games left and an 0-10-1 record, there are no current plans to shut down Swift for the rest of the season.

“No, we don’t feel that way. We don’t feel that way. We still have hope in Swift.”