The Lions continue to accumulate injuries on defense. This time, it's Alim McNeill who falls.
ESPN announces that the defensive tackle suffers from a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament and that he will not be able to play again this year. A huge blow as the 24-year-old defensive tackle had established himself as a force in the center of the defensive line over the last two years.
This season, Alim McNeill had 3.5 sacks, 7 quarterback hits and 25 tackles. All in 14 matches. His absence will inevitably leave a huge void.
In October, the Lions extended their imposing defensive tackle for 4 years and $97 million. He arrived in the franchise in 2021 in the 3rd round of the Draft.
Alim McNeill and others
The problem is that the bad ones are piling up on the Lions defense side. In addition to McNeill, NFL Media reports that Carlton Davis is suffering from a broken jaw and will be out for six weeks. For the cornerback, there is therefore hope of a return if the season extends to the conference finals or the Super Bowl. But a race against time is on.
Davis has defended 11 passes this season, with 56 tackles and 2 fumbles covered in addition to his tally.
These two losses add to an already long list for the Lions. Since the start of the season, Detroit has lost its star Aidan Hutchinson, but also Marcus Davenport and John Cominsky on the line. Among the linebackers, Alex Anzalone, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Derrick Barnes and Malcolm Rodriguez are in the infirmary. And among the defensive backs, Ennis Rakestraw, Emmanuel Moseley and Ifeatu Melifonwu are no longer there either.
