Getty Jonah Jackson blocking for the Lions in a 2021 game.
The Detroit Lions’ offensive line has endured a tough start to the 2022 season due to injury, and some of their ailments have almost been too wild to believe.
Take the case of guard Jonah Jackson. Lost due to a finger injury, Jackson was a player that many assumed would step up and have a huge season. Unfortunately, that’s on hold for a bit longer.
Folks likely wondered how Jackson picked the injury up so quickly and randomly. Justin Rogers of the Detroit News provided some clarity on the matter when he spoke to Jackson, and found that the injury was freak in nature given it was a case of friendly fire.
Finally got a chance to catch up with Jonah Jackson today. He got the finger caught in a teammate’s pads. Still can’t flex it. Said he bumped it the other day and it’s still in tremendous pain. It’s on his power hand, which renders his ability to stop a rusher ineffective.
“Finally got a chance to catch up with Jonah Jackson today. He got the finger caught in a teammate’s pads. Still can’t flex it. Said he bumped it the other day and it’s still in tremendous pain. It’s on his power hand, which renders his ability to stop a rusher ineffective,” Rogers tweeted after speaking to Jackson.
As Jackson explained, the expectation is the injury is day to day and he wants to return, but Rogers hypothesized that may not be easily possible.
Jackson said the injury is still day-to-day. He’s hopeful to be back before the bye, but the way he was describing where it’s at in the healing process, that feels doubtful. That’s my expert medical opinion.
“Jackson said the injury is still day-to-day. He’s hopeful to be back before the bye, but the way he was describing where it’s at in the healing process, that feels doubtful. That’s my expert medical opinion,” Rogers tweeted.
A longer timetable would make sense. The Lions likely don’t want to be faced with a situation where Jackson aggravates the injury and is then forced to deal with surgery, so being careful would seem to be the best advice.
At the very least, this also shows that the Lions have been a bit cursed again with regards to injuries this year. It’s a bad break for Jackson, but he will now try to be diligent in his recovery.
Injury Slows Jackson’s Bid for Breakout Year
After cracking the Pro Bowl in 2021, it looked as if Jackson would be able to hit the ground running this year. Many were projecting that he would be a major breakout star for the team, but that may have to wait.
If Jackson is forced to sit out until after the bye week, that would limit his overall ability to make a big impact on the field. It’s more important for Jackson to be completely healthy than to be a difference maker in terms of the short-term.
There’s a chance for Jackson to be a player that still plays a starring role this season, but he has to be healthy. That’s why he needs to find a way to get back as fast as he can and be as healthy as possible.
Jackson’s Career Stats & Highlights
No matter if injured, the facts don’t lie about where Jackson could be heading for the team in the near future.
He played in the Pro Bowl last season, and while he has not received any other major accolades, that doesn’t change the fact that Jackson has been a strong player for the Lions since he joined the team. Perhaps most significantly, Jackson started 16 games as a rookie and was a load up front for the Lions quickly. It’s not often that the Lions have a young lineman capable of playing a starting role right off the bat while not looking out of place in the league, but that’s just what Jackson brought to the mix for the team as a rookie.
While he was a first-year man out of Ohio State, Jackson showed the kind of toughness and grit that could make him a fixture in the NFL and keep him as a high-level starter.
Hopefully, Jackson can get himself healthy off this unfortunate injury case.
READ NEXT: Lions Facing Major Injury Battle for Week 4