Detroit Lions WR Josh Reynolds INACTIVE vs. Packers

The Detroit Lions have declared their inactives ahead of their Week 9 matchup with the Green Bay Packers and starting wide receiver Josh Reynolds was ruled inactive due to a back injury.

The Lions made a big roster move at the beginning of the week trading T.J. Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings. On Saturday, the Lions signed wide receiver Stanley Berryhill to the active roster, and elevated brothers Shane and Brandon Zylstra from the practice squad, bringing the game-day roster up to 55 players.

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 on the active roster and 48 eligible to play, the Lions need to declare seven inactive for today’s matchup.

Lions inactives:

• WR Josh Reynolds (back)
• OT Matt Nelson (calf) — ruled OUT on Friday
• NB AJ Parker (hip) — ruled OUT Friday
• NB Chase Lucas (ankle) — ruled OUT on Friday
• S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) — ruled OUT on Friday
• DL Michael Brockers
• EDGE Austin Bryant

Reynolds injured his back on Wednesday and was not able to practice the rest of the week. He tried to get ready before the game but was unable.

“Certainly, you’d like to have (Reynolds),” coach Dan Campbell said on Friday. “I mean there’s no secret, but you’ve got to lean on your tight ends a little bit, which we’ll have plenty going into the game, and then we’ve got – we still have Leaf (Kalif Raymond), we’ve got Saint (Amon-Ra St. Brown). We’ll see where (D’Andre) Swift goes, and then we’ll probably bring a guy or two up.”

With Reynolds out, look for the Lions to turn to St. Brown, Raymond, and Tom Kennedy to start at wide receiver.

Nelson will miss his fourth game in a row, and once again will hand over reserve tackle duties to Dan Skipper. The Lions have tried to use others in Nelson’s sixth offensive lineman role, but have been largely unsuccessful in doing so and have pretty much abandoned the concept.

Brockers has now been a healthy scratch for three games in a row as the Lions continue to use their edge players as their primary interior defensive linemen on third downs and obvious passing situations.

With Charles Harris returning to the lineup, the Lions had six healthy edge rushers and Bryant became a victim of the numbers.

Parker and Lucas being out thins out the nickel corner depth but the Lions have some options on how to adjust. They could turn to Mike Hughes to start inside again, or possibly go another direction with Will Harris or Jerry Jacobs.

Melifonwu has now missed four games in a row and is a depth-only option at this stage of the season.

Packers inactives:

• LB De’Vondre Campbell — Ruled OUT on Friday
• CB Shemar Jean-Charles — Ruled OUT on Friday
• OL Rasheed Walker
• OL Luke Tenuta
• DL Jonathan Ford