Getty Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell voiced his frustration with how tight end Shane Zlystra suffered his season-ending injury.
Injuries happen all the time in the NFL. They sometimes occur even at practice without pads on at training camp.
But Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell made it very clear to the media on August 2 that the season-ending injury tight end Shane Zylstra suffered shouldn’t have happened.
“No, we’re not okay with that, and it’s been addressed,” Campbell said to reporters. “These things happen. The physicality of the game, the pads, but that was preventable. That’s not what we do.
“We still have to be physical, we’ve got to work each other, we’ve got to compete, but we still have to take care of each other.”
The Detroit News’ Justin Rogers reported that the third-year tight end left the practice field on July 31 after sustaining a low hit to his right knee from cornerback Khalil Dorsey. Rogers tweeted that it was “definitely not the kind” of hit a defender wants “to deliver against a teammate in practice.”
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted that Zylstra is expected to miss six months due to the injury.
Shane Zylstra taken to the locker room with a right let injury after getting hit low by cornerback Khalil Dorsey. Not an illegal hit, but definitely not the kind you want to deliver against a teammate in practice.
The Lions announced on August 1 that they waived Zylstra with an injury designation.
#Lions have waived injured TE Shane Zylstra.
Dan Campbell, Khalil Dorsey Feel Bad About Shane Zylstra Injury
Before diving into what he didn’t like about the injury, Campbell expressed how badly he feels for the third-year tight end.
“I feel awful for Zylstra. He had the injury two years ago. Man, that was a tough one,” Campbell said. “That was a tough injury that he fought his way back from, and then you saw what he was able to do for us. He was a pivotal part of our success last year once we started turning the corner.
“He just does everything right. He works, he’s a grinder. And then this one happens. Hearts with him.”
Campbell added that Dorsey “feels awful too.”
With 11 catches for 60 yards last season, Zylstra didn’t light up the stat sheet. But he did catch 3 touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers in Week 16. His offensive playing time also increased as the season went (the T.J. Hockenson trade provided him that opportunity), which coincided with Detroit’s winning streak.
Zylstra joined the Lions in 2021 after going undrafted during the 2020 NFL draft. He made his NFL debut during Week 5 of 2021 against the Minnesota Vikings.
In 17 NFL games, Zylstra has posted 14 receptions, 94 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns on 22 targets.
Lions TE Sam LaPorta Also Leaves Practice With Injury
As the cliché goes, when it rains, it pours.
Before waiving Zylstra, the Lions suffered another injury at tight end. Rookie Sam LaPorta left practice on August 1 with an ankle ailment.
Fortunately, Campbell called the injury “not serious” and added that LaPorta will return to practice on August 2.
“He just had a little bit of an ankle [injury],” Campbell said. “He’ll be back out there today running around. We’ll see how he feels with it.”
The Lions will have two other new tight ends on the practice field soon as well. The team announced that it signed tight ends Darrell Daniels and Daniel Helm.
Detroit also waived fellow tight end Derrick Deese Jr.
#Lions announce roster moves:
Signed TEs Darrell Daniels and Daniel Helm
Placed CB Emmanuel Moseley on Active/PUP
Waived TE Derrick Deese Jr.
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Lions’ Dan Campbell Airs Out Frustration Over TE Shane Zylstra Injury