Getty Quintez Cephus makes a catch against the 49ers in 2021.
The Detroit Lions are one of the most dinged up teams in the NFL, so having yet another injury play out isn’t great news for the team no matter who was leaving the field.
This injury is particularly devastating to the Detroit cause being it is to their top wide receiver in Quintez Cephus. After making a nice catch and run late in the first half against the Minnesota Vikings, Cephus was ridden hard out of bounds and would leave the game. Now, he’s questionable to return.
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The Lions updated the status of Cephus quickly, and said he was questionable to return with a shoulder injury.
#Lions Injury Update:
WR Quintez Cephus, Shoulder, Questionable
Later, Cephus was then downgraded to out.
#Lions Injury Update:
WR Quintez Cephus (Shoulder) has been downgraded to Out.
The injury is bad news for Detroit because the team is already thin at wideout. Cephus has been a standout this season with 166 yards and 2 touchdowns through Week 4. In the game, Cephus had 3 receptions for 38 yards and was looking like a quality weapon once again.
Former NFL Doc: Cephus Could Face AC Joint Issue
Noted former NFL doctor David Chao took a closer look at the Cephus injury in real-time and admitted that it looked as if it was a potential AC joint sprain. As he said in a tweet, it’s possible that Cehpus could return to the game with injection.
Obviously, that won’t be happening, so the Lions will have to hope it isn’t a long-term issue.
Regardless of the injury, having Cephus off the field for any length of time will be a significant blow for a Detroit offense that needs more weaponry in order to compete in games. While an AC joint injury is much better than a lot of other potential shoulder issues, it could still cause Cephus significant pain in the weeks ahead.
Cephus Career Stats and Highlights
In college, Cephus put up a solid 1,496 yards and 9 touchdowns in a run-heavy Wisconsin Badgers offense. He’s a player that has some potential which is obvious given the numbers he put up and his work ethic and body type. So far in the NFL, Cephus has put up 349 yards and 2 touchdowns on 20 career receptions without much run at all. He was a healthy scratch at times last season, but it’s clear those days could be over.
Cephus didn’t have a fast run at the NFL Combine running in the 4.7’s, but improved things during his early pro day with Wisconsin. More than the speed, it’s the ability of Cephus to run good routes and make solid catches which impresses. As a result of that, he could be a solid pro who sticks in the league in time if he is able to take care of his business.
Here’s a look at some top Cephus highlights from his rookie year in the league:
Detroit has seen more plays like this as Cephus has come along in 2021, and it would be a shame if this injury derailed him. Now, it will be important to watch and see whether or not he can return and how serious the injury is for Week 6 and beyond.
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Lions’ Top Wideout Leaves Game, Potential Injury Diagnosed