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The Detroit Lions will be without Alim McNeill for at least the next month after the standout defensive tackle suffered a knee sprain in the team’s December 3 win over the New Orleans Saints.
As ESPN reported, the Lions placed McNeill on injured reserve on December 5, meaning he will miss at least the next four games but could be eligible to return for the playoffs. The loss will be a big one for a Lions defense that has already suffered a number of significant injuries including cornerback Emmanuel Moseley and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Lions Add Depth After Losing Alim McNeill
The 23-year-old defensive tackle is having a strong season, having already reached a career-high with five sacks and 31 tackles through the first 12 games of the year.
The Lions already helped fill some depth at defensive tackle, signing free agent Tyson Alualu to the practice squad. As ESPN noted, Alualu will add a veteran presence to the practice squad.
“Alualu, 36, was a first-round pick (10th overall) by Jacksonville in 2010 and spent the last six seasons in Pittsburgh,” the report noted. “He has 25 sacks, 70 QB hits, 416 tackles and four forced fumbles in 191 games (113 starts) with the Jaguars (2010-16) and Steelers (2017-22).”
The Lions moved McNeill from a nose tackle to a 3-tech defensive lineman last season, and the 23-year-old underwent a significant transformation for the new position and the greater agility needed. He lost 13% of his body fat during the offseason while adding a significant amount of muscle, SI.com’s Jeff Risdon reported in June.
With McNeill’s injury, the Lions lose a defensive starter at a critical juncture as they close in on mathematically clinching a playoff spot and aiming to win their first divisional title in nearly three decades.
Alim McNeill Had Been a ‘Force’ This Season
As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press noted, McNeill has been a defensive “force” this year and earned game balls from head coach Dan Campbell in wins over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers and Las Vegas Raiders.
Though he is in the midst of a career-best season, McNeill told the Detroit Free Press that he believes he has more room to improve.
“I really don’t feel like I’ve done enough, if we’re talking individually,” McNeill said. “I always try to put my best ability and put my best work out there on the field. But me, you can’t ask a question like that. I’m always going to deflect it. I never say I played good.”
McNeill said he learned to take a more relaxed approach to the game, not dwelling on mistakes and instead focusing on his new role in the defensive line.
“I was just doing too much thinking that didn’t even apply to me,” McNeill said. “I was just wondering like, ‘What if they do this?’ I just need to do my job, worry about what’s in front of me, and that’s what I’m doing now.
“I was making up scenarios in my head, just thinking way too much. But now I’m a lot more comfortable out there, I know what’s going on, I know what I’m doing, I know what they’re doing, stuff like that.”