The Detroit Lions are locked in a tight race for supremacy in the NFC North, and could be facing a big challenge in their coming game against a division rival.
The Lions are in their bye week this weekend, a time they will use to rest and hopefully recover from some of the injuries that have been mounting, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But this week will also give the rival Minnesota Vikings the chance to get their starting quarterback ready for the matchup against the Lions next week.
Lions Expected to Face J.J. McCarthy in Next Week’s Game
As The Athletic’s Alec Lewis reported, McCarthy is in position to return to his starting position next week against the Lions. McCarthy has missed the last five games with a high ankle sprain, but Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters on Friday that the second-year quarterback is making good progress toward his return.
âHe got some work today and he will hopefully get some work throughout the early part of the week, which will lead him into a full week of preparation,” O’Connell said.
O’Connell added that McCarthy would spend the bye week getting back into rhythm and rebuilding a rapport with his wide receivers.
âFor J.J., itâs going to be about the commitment that heâs made throughout his rehab of getting back to those concrete fundamentals and techniques that allow his feet and eyes to work together and find completions to any one of our five eligibles, whether itâs a receiver or T.J. (Hockenson) or even Aaron Jones or Jordan (Mason) or Zay (Zavier Scott) out of the backfield,” O’Connell said.
The Vikings struggled with veteran Carson Wentz under center. The ailing veteran completed 15-of-27 passes for 144 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, playing through some obvious pain.
The Vikings put a lot of faith in McCarthy, allowing veteran Sam Darnold to leave in free agency after he led the team to a 14-3 record last year following a season-ending injury for McCarthy. The second-year quarterback showed some promise in his start to 2025, but the high-ankle injury has raised new concerns about whether he might be too injury-prone.
Lions Could Get Some Help on the Injury Front
While the Lions will have to face McCarthy next week, they will also have some help on the way as their own players recover from injuries. Jimmy Liao of USA Today’s Lions Wire reported that Detroit will have several players returning over the coming weeks, including safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph next week, with cornerback Terrion Arnold and running back Sione Vaki returning the next week.
They will have more returns in the weeks that follow, including cornerback DJ Reed, defensive lineman Marcus Davenport, and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez.
While the returns will help bolster a Lions defense that has now faced two years of mounting injuries, the team could also look to bring in outside help. Some insiders predict the Lions will seek defensive help at the trade deadline, boosting depth in their secondary or defensive line.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Lions Get Bad News on Next Opponent’s Star Player appeared first on Heavy Sports.