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The Detroit Lions have declared their inactives ahead of a Week 13 game against division rival Minnesota Vikings.
The Lions made a handful of roster moves this week, including activating Ifeatu Melifonwu from IR, releasing Da’Shawn Hand from IR with an injury settlement, placing Trey Flowers on IR, signing Rashod Berry, as well as elevating Bruce Hector and Tavante Beckett for the game. By Sunday, the Lions had 53 players on the active roster and two elevated players, meaning they’ll have 55 players available to choose their game-day roster from.
Because the Lions have eight offensive linemen active for Sunday’s game, they are eligible to expand their game-day roster from 46 to 48 players. Therefore, with 55 players available and 48 eligible to play, the Lions need to declare seven inactive for today’s matchup.
Here are those seven players:
Lions inactives:
- RB D’Andre Swift (shoulder) — ruled OUT on Friday
- LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (shoulder) — ruled OUT on Friday
- CB Bobby Price (shoulder) — ruled OUT on Friday
- QB David Blough
- WR Trinity Benson (knee)
- OL Matt Nelson (ankle)
- NT John Penisini (illness)
Sewell missed Wednesday’s practice with an illness on Wednesday but was able to return to limited practices on Thursday and Friday. While he appeared to be clear of his illness, a shoulder injury popped up on Friday’s report that put today's game into question. Sewell injured his shoulder on Thanksgiving Day but didn’t miss a snap against the Bears, and it appears it won’t keep him out of today’s game today. He is expected to start.
It was clear early in the week that Swift would miss this game. It was even reported that he could miss “multiple weeks”, but on Friday, coach Dan Campbell said the team is hoping for a shorter timeframe for recovery.
“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.”
Reeves-Maybin’s absence will push rookie Derrick Barnes into the starting lineup and likely elevated UDFA rookie Tavante Beckett into an important role on special teams.
Price’s absence will also hurt the Lions’ special teams play, but it’s less clear who will replace him as a gunner—I have previously speculated UDFA corner Mark Gilbert seems primed to step up.
Blough is scratched for the second week in a row, now that Jared Goff and Tim Boyle are healthy.
Benson is a surprise inactive, as he didn’t carry an injury designation into this game, so it’s unclear if he reinjured his knee, or if he was just passed on the depth chart. Tom Kennedy is WR5 for today’s game.
Nelson is trending in the right direction but his ankle is still limiting him enough to keep him out of this game.
Penisini popped up on the injury report on Saturday with an illness. Less than 24 hours later, he is still under the weather and won’t be able to play. Bruce Hector was elevated for today’s matchup and will take on DL5 duties.
Vikings inactives:
- RB Dalvin Cook (shoulder) - Ruled OUT on Friday
- LT Christian Darrisaw (ankle) - Ruled OUT on Friday
- LB Eric Kendricks (biceps) - Ruled OUT on Saturday
- S Camryn Bynum (ankle) - Ruled OUT on Friday
- LB Anthony Barr (knee, hamstring)
- QB Kellen Mond
- WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
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