Getty Kenny Golladay runs for a touchdown.
The Detroit Lions need Kenny Golladay in the mix, and that’s just what it seems they are going to get this week against the Arizona Cardinals.
Golladay, who hasn’t played a snap this season with a hamstring injury, has made his return to practice this week and has been ruled questionable for Sunday’s game. It seems more likely that Golladay will play, though, adding a big, potent piece to the team’s offense that has badly been missing.
Speaking on Friday, Golladay explained that he isn’t totally healthy, but he still wants to play and be in the lineup this week for Detroit.
Kenny Golladay: “Definitely feeling a lot better. Wouldn’t say it’s 100 percent, I really wouldn’t even put a percentage on it. I just know I’m not 100 percent. I’m going to do everything I can and hopefully I showed enough (in practice this week) that I can be out there.”
Obviously, Golladay might not be completely healthy or right, but he still thinks that he’s good enough to impact the game and play a huge role for the Lions this weekend. A player always knows their own body, so who’s to question Golladay’s impact? The team has missed him in a big way, and even if he’s used as a situational decoy, his presence alone could change the game.
Heading into a Week 3 game which might be Detroit’s season, Golladay wants back in and the team would be wise to give him a shot to do so.
Kenny Gollday Predicted for Week 3 Return
Golladay, who hasn’t practiced or played much at all this season, is inching ever closer to a return for the team. In fact, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported, the Lions are hoping to have Golladay back by Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals. In fact, as Matt Patricia put it to Pelissero, Golladay is “really close” to coming back on the field.
Golladay has been missing with a hamstring injury for the last few weeks, but the Lions have been being responsible with him and trying not to make the injury worse by forcing Golladay to play. So far, it looks like that has paid off if they can get him back next week.
It’s some good news in what has been a tough start to the season in Detroit in terms of health.
Kenny Golladay Projected for Huge 2020
After a few solid seasons since being drafted into the league, Golladay appeared to grow by leaps and bounds in 2019. All of that only sets the stage for what could be to come this year. According to Pro Football Focus, Golladay is going to be one of the most productive wideouts in the game this coming season, racking up 1,405 receiving yards. That would represent a top 3 total in the league.
Most projected receiving yards
1. Michael Thomas – 1,525
2. Julio Jones – 1,457
3. Kenny Golladay – 1,405
4. Chris Godwin – 1,331
Golladay is a player the Lions need to build around for the future, and his ability to make huge plays in the passing game is a major reason why. He’s developed well since the Lions drafted him and Golladay is a home grown talent in the truest sense.
A season like this might just propel the Lions forward in the biggest and best possible ways offensively.
Kenny Golladay’s 2019 Stats
From nearly the start of the season until the finish, Golladay had an excellent year catching the ball. So far, he’s put up 1,190 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s had some huge games last season, and four times Golladay has gone well over 100 yards in a game catching the ball for the Lions. His ball skills are a big reason why.
In total, Golladay has enjoyed arguably the best start to a career of any wideout in his 2017 draft class not named JuJu Smith-Schuster. With 2,730 yards and 19 touchdowns thus far in his career coming into the 2020 season on the field, Golladay looks like an obvious top dog in Detroit for the foreseeable future with Matthew Stafford tossing him the rock. That’s good news for the Lions, who have long pondered how to find production at the wideout position minus Calvin Johnson. Not an issue anymore with Golladay taking over.
Golladay would love to add to those totals by getting loose in Week 3, and it certainly looks as if the Lions are going to give him that chance when all is said and done.
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