Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs ‘not expected’ to play vs. Panthers

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and running back Jahmyr Gibbs are not expected to play on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Both players were listed as doubtful going into Sunday, with St. Brown dealing with an abdominal injury suffered last week and Gibbs recovering from a hamstring injury that popped up on the injury report on Friday.

Those are pretty massive losses for the Lions, as St. Brown and Gibbs combined for 401 of the team’s 1029 receiving yards, while Gibbs contributed another 179 rushing yards on the ground. St. Brown, in particular, has been an essential part of the offense for the past three years. That said, the last time St. Brown was inactive, (Week 4 in 2022), the Lions put up 45 points and 520 yards of offense against the Seahawks.

To help, the Lions are expected to play 2022 first-round receiver Jameson Williams now that his suspension is over. Though Williams is expected to have a limited role against the Panthers, he adds another dimension to the team’s passing attack.

“He brings a different element (we) and many other teams don’t have,” receivers coach Antwaan Randle-El said this week. “Just in terms of his speed and the way he runs down the field. So, it certainly translates over to the game, and it’s certainly going to help us. It’s just a fact of how we can get him ready to get on the field.”

As for the running back spot, the Lions will continue to lean on David Montgomery as their lead, bruising back. To complement him, they’ll likely use a combination of Craig Reynolds and Zonovan Knight.

A full list of inactives for Week 5 will drop around 90 minutes before kickoff (11:30 a.m. ET).