Detroit Lions Week 18 injury designations: Jared Goff questionable, expected to play

The Detroit Lions have declared their injury designations ahead of their Week 18 game against division rival Green Bay Packers and it appears they will be getting their starting quarterback this week.

Let’s take a closer look at the Lions’ official injury report from Friday, noting that the new injuries, changes in status, and new reserve/COVID-19 additions are bolded.

Reserve/COVID-19

• LT Taylor Decker — added January 3
• RT Penei Sewell — added January 3
• EDGE Austin Bryant — added January 3
• RB Rodney Smith (practice squad) — added January 3

On Saturday, Decker, Sewell, and Bryant will have completed one part of the league’s COVID-19 protocols—the five-day quarantine period—but they still have hurdles to clear before they will be eligible to play on Sunday. The most notable issue they will have to overcome is being symptomatic, because as of Friday, all three were still presenting symptoms.

“It’ll be about the symptoms,” coach Dan Campbell said at his Friday press conference. “‘How are they?’ We’ve been checking on them every day and they all have symptoms. And so we’ll just have to see how they’ll feel tomorrow. That will be their fifth day, and so they can come in and we can check them out, see where they’re at, see if it’s affected them physically at all and where their minds at. If they feel like they can go and they don’t have the symptoms, then we’re good to go. But otherwise, we won’t really know until tomorrow.”

This situation remains a waiting game.

Of note: WR Geronimo Allison (practice squad) was removed from the list on January 6, and defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant has returned to his coaching role.

Ruled OUT

• FB Jason Cabinda (knee)

Cabinda’s season is over after he was ruled out for the Lions season finale. He heads into the offseason as a restricted free agent, but one the Lions would surely want back in the mix in 2022.

Questionable

• QB Jared Goff (knee)
• WR Josh Reynolds (thigh) — added to the injury report on Friday
• TE Brock Wright (groin)
• LG Jonah Jackson (elbow)
• DL Michael Brockers (neck)
• LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (shoulder)

“I’d say it’s probable,” Campbell said of the possibility of Goff playing on Sunday. “He got back in a rhythm Wednesday. I thought yesterday he looked even better, and we expect him to continue to improve today. So I think we’ll see Goff this weekend.”

While Goff is in line to return, Reynolds landed on the injury report on Friday after being healthy the previous two days. Late-week injuries are typically not ideal, but he did speak with the media this afternoon, which is typically a positive sign that a player is likely to play.

Wright and Jackson each got in limited practices all week, which could make them game-time decisions on Sunday, but both seem more likely to start than to miss at this stage. If Wright can’t go, expect a patchwork tight end blend like last week, while Jackson would surely be replaced by Tommy Kraemer at left guard.

Brockers and Reeves-Maybin have been working through injuries recently but have been able to start on defense despite them. There has been nothing to suggest anything will be different this week, as both appear likely to play.