Getty Austin Bryant before a Lions game in 2020.
The Detroit Lions are hoping for health across their roster during the 2021 NFL season, and that goal may not have gotten off to the best start for one player.
Since coming into the league in 2019 as a fourth-round selection, Austin Bryant hasn’t been able to stay healthy, seemingly missing more time than he has seen the field. With a new coaching staff and defense, he was looking for 2021 to be his year. Sadly, this season will start behind the eight ball too.
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Bryant will start the 2021 season on the PUP list with yet another injury as the team pushes toward training camp.
A couple roster moves for the Lions after rookies, QBs and injured players report: Austin Bryant to PUP, Javon McKinley to NFI and Evan Heim to reserve/COVID list
Seeing Bryant on this list isn’t good for the Lions, but it’s worse for the player. It was a big year for Bryant in terms of hoping for production to impress Dan Campbell, and now that goal might have to be on hold, which could cost him critical time.
Bryant Facing Pressure for Lions in 2021
Knowing that the Lions are looking for help on defense and specifically at the edge spot and at linebacker, it always seemed as if this was a vital season for the pass rusher. Now, he won’t be on the field to mingle with his new team, which is a tough development. He may have missed an early chance to impress his new coaching staff at a time where there is a roster crunch.
Bryant missed most of the last two season with injury, but it’s true that he was an intriguing edge prospect prior to those troubles taking place. The Lions made some additions up front this year, and the previous regime picked Bryant. All of that adds up to a critical period for the lineman this August.
Bryant’s Bumpy Career Path
Picked up in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, the pass rusher out of Clemson got hyped as a hidden gem thanks to his production in college, but an injury helped his slip in the draft, and once he got to Detroit, he was quickly injured again with a nearly identical ailment to the one he sustained in school.
“It’s been tough, especially the whole draft process, couldn’t do anything. When I got here, I couldn’t do anything. Then to finally get cleared and have another little mishap to prolong it even more was tough, but just had to be patient,” Bryant told the media a year ago. “Had some great teammates giving me encouragement, coaches always encouraging me, so I was able to keep a positive attitude and continue to work.”
As Bryant explained, he felt that was able to keep him healthy and patient heading into last season:
“I’ll never forget having to be patient, you come in as a rookie and you want to play right away, and having to sit back and wait. I think it’s kind of helped me more than anything,” he said. “I got fresh legs, I was able to learn as much as I could from the older guys and the coaches and be in the meetings so that was helpful.”
Sadly, however, Bryant wasn’t able to rebound much in 2020. The defender only put up 17 combined tackles last year and had more injury trouble find him as the season pushed on. As a result, he was back by November, but never made the consistent impact that him or the team desired.
Obviously, this news is yet another setback for Bryant and the Lions as it relates to their future together. It will be interesting to see if he can shake this ailment in time.
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