Detroit Lions Week 5 inactives list: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs OUT

The Detroit Lions have declared their inactives ahead of their Week 5 matchup with the Carolina Panthers and the news is not ideal, though it was expected.

The Lions entered the week with an open spot on their roster (only 52 players on the active roster) and that final open spot was used on Jameson Williams, who was reinstated from his suspension earlier in the week and activated on Saturday. Additionally, the Lions placed Jason Cabinda on injured reserve and activated Julian Okwara from injured reserve. One final move the Lions made was to elevate wide receiver Dylan Drummond from the practice squad to the game-day roster.

In the end, these moves bring the Lions game-day roster total up to 54 players.

Because the Lions have eight offensive linemen active for Sunday’s game, they are eligible to expand their game-day eligibility roster from 47 to 48 players. Therefore, with 54 players on the game-day roster and 48 eligible to play, the Lions need to declare six players inactive for today’s matchup.

Lions inactive:

• RB Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring) — carried a doubtful designation into the game
• WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (abdomen) — carried a doubtful designation into the game
• TE James Mitchell (hamstring) — carried a doubtful designation into the game
• DB Brian Branch (ankle) — Ruled OUT
• DT Brodric Martin
• DL Levi Onwuzurike

Gibbs showed up on the injury report on Friday, was initially listed as questionable, then downgraded to doubtful on Saturday. Late week injuries often result in a player not being able to play that week, but hopefully, this doesn’t carry over into more games. Gibbs’ snaps are expected to be split between starter David Montgomery, as well as reserves Craig Reynolds and Zonovan Knight.

St. Brown was unable to practice all week and his abdominal injury will cost him this game. He appeared to be right on the fringe of playing this week, so chances are that he will be able to return for next week's game.

Mitchell, like Gibbs, was injured late in the week, so being unavailable for this game is not surprising. Look for Darrell Daniels to assume TE3 duties on top of him assuming fullback/H-back responsibilities.

Branch didn’t practice all week and was ruled out on Friday. Expect the majority of his snaps to fall to Will Harris, though some opportunities could go elsewhere—to Cam Sutton or Jerry Jacobs—as the team works Emmanuel Moseley into the game.

Martin is once again inactive as a healthy scratch this week, while Onwuzurike will sit out as Isaiah Buggs earned another look after getting a sack against the Packers in Week 4.

Panthers inactives:

• S Xavier Woods — Ruled OUT
• OT David Sharpe
• RB Raheem Blackshear
• CB Donte Jackson
• LB Deion Jones