Getty Halapoulivaati Vaitai celebrates with Brock Wright and Jared Goff in 2021.
Coming out of Detroit Lions practice on Monday, August 15, there was good news and bad news for the team in terms of potential injury situations.
A few weeks back, the Lions watched as wide receiver Quintez Cephus went down in practice. The injury seemed minor at the time, but nobody was sure how long the pass catcher would remain sidelined.
Apparently, the answer was only a couple of weeks. Cephus was back in action on Monday, August 15, according to Justin Rogers of the Detroit News. Unfortunately, however, the news wasn’t as good for one of his running mates on offense.
Halapoulivaati Vaitai left during practice and did not return. He ended up being replaced by Tommy Kraemer, according to reporters and Rogers.
Getting inside from practice a bit late today, but good to see Quintez Cephus back out there. Less positive, Vaitai left in the middle of practice. Asked around to several other reporters watching today, but no one saw him exit. He was replaced by Tommy Kraemer.
“Getting inside from practice a bit late today, but good to see Quintez Cephus back out there. Less positive, Vaitai left in the middle of practice. Asked around to several other reporters watching today, but no one saw him exit. He was replaced by Tommy Kraemer,” Rogers wrote in a tweet.
If nothing else, the situation shows where Detroit’s depth chart may be at guard. Kraemer seeing the immediate action for Vaitai could be a good indication that the Lions believe in the second-year undrafted free agent as a piece for their line.
The hope is Cephus can be completely healthy ahead of the season and ready to make an impact, and that Vaitai is not lost for any length of time. Nevertheless, it’s another case for the Lions to watch.
Cephus’ Return Important for Lions Offense
If there was one player the Lions likely didn’t want to lose early this camp period, it was Cephus. The wideout seemed like one of the most intriguing players on the roster given what he had done in the offseason and early in camp, but all of that hit the skids when he left practice with injury.
While it seemed the injury to Cephus wasn’t going to be a big deal, it still represented a stumbling block for the youngster. Cephus had already missed most of 2021 with injury, and there was likely a sense of deja-vu with the player.
It’s seemed that Cephus could be a big piece for the Lions this year, and with his return, the hope is the connection between him and Jared Goff can continue to blossom before the season.
Vaitai Major Piece for Lions’ Line Depth
Losing Vaitai, on the other hand, would be a direct blow to Detroit’s potentially elite offensive line ahead of the 2022 season.
Last year, Vaitai enjoyed a solid bounce-back year and is looking forward to continuing to impact the game in a big way for 2022. He’s a solid player in the ground game and also against the pass. If he was lost, the team might see a slide in productivity given his importance.
It’s good to see Kraemer being thought of highly, as he played games in 2021 and didn’t look overmatched at times. Still, the team will want to see Vaitai back as soon as possible off any potential injury.