Getty Tracy Walker runs on the field before a Lions preseason game in 2022.
The Detroit Lions lost safety Tracy Walker to injury this year, but ever since September, the news has been getting better and better for the veteran.
Now, Walker has turned another substantial corner within his recovery process from ACL surgery. After working through the last few months and being forced to watch his team make a furious run toward a 9-8 finish, Walker himself has been grinding to come back for a new year.
As he showed January 12, Walker showed some new clips of himself running on a practice field and looking agile when doing so.
Feels good to run again..
#ImComing
“Feels good to run again…#ImComing,” Walker said in the tweet posted on January 12.
During his recovery, Walker has remained very upbeat and optimistic, so as the positive steps come, it isn’t a shock to see him sharing them. That’s something which he proved with a recent Instagram post, as he continues to stay on the right track mentally.
“Year 5 didn’t turn out the way I wanted it but it was a blessing to build new relationships and make new memories. The shake back is so real and I will be back to show that this Achilles can’t hold TTIME back!,” Walker wrote in the post on January 10.
Walker has taken the injury in stride and continues to make steady gains as this video shows. The expectation is he can remain on track within his recovery and be a force for the team next season as much as he was in the past.
Walker Offered Good December Progress Update
Things have been going well for Walker in his recovery. Not only did he tell the media including Benjamin Raven of MLive.com last October he felt he’d be ready for OTA’s in June, but his walking boot came off in December.
Around that time, Walker himself tweeted an update that he was ahead of schedule within his recovery, and instructed fans to “stay tuned” in the future for more updates.
Also for my people who want to know how my recovery going.. I’m ahead of schedule on when I come back from my injury so stay tuned.!
“Also for my people who want to know how my recovery going.. I’m ahead of schedule on when I come back from my injury so stay tuned!” Walker tweeted on December 11.
Walker, who was playing his fifth season with the Lions, tore his Achilles in the first quarter of the Lions’ Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on September 25. He’d already had 20 combined tackles by that point and was well on his way to shattering his career high of 108, set in 2021. Typically, a torn Achilles requires six to 12 months to mend, putting Walker on track for recovery in late March, at the earliest.
To see Walker running as well as offering these updates is very good news for the Lions. If he is able to stay on track, he should be able to come back in time for the team’s training camp, which typically starts in late July.
Perhaps Walker’s “stay tuned” statement could be applied to the footage of him running on the practice field and working out.
Lions Defense Missed Walker During 2022 Season
Walker’s injury represented some unfortunate timing for Detroit. When he exited the season in Week 3, the team’s defense was already struggling. Things would only get worse on the back end for Detroit.
Detroit would go on to give up 250 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air the day that Walker departed, a 28-24 loss in Minnesota. The Lions’ pass defense would only devolve from there statistically as games went on.
By the end of the 2022 season, the Lions would finish with the 30th ranked overall pass defense. They gave up an average of 245.6 yards per-game through the air and 26 total touchdowns.
While the team saw the emergence of rookie Kerby Joseph who had 85 tackles and four sacks and continued steady play from DeShon Elliott with 96 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble, it can be argued that Walker’s presence as a veteran who covered plenty of ground was missed the most.
Walker has put up a total of 339 tackles, three sacks and three interceptions in his career in Detroit. He figures a lock to improve upon those numbers even more with a healthy 2023 season, while perhaps improving a weak spot on the Detroit defense.
As the video shows, Walker is looking like he is on track to come back strong and meet his goals.