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Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said the team will take whatever measures are necessary to get Amon-Ra St. Brown on the field this weekend, even if it means fitting the star receiver’s cleats with a pair of steel plates.
St. Brown was added to the injury report this week, missing practice on September 20 with what was described as a foot ailment. As Jeremy Reisman of SB Nation’s Pride of Detroit reported on Wednesday, the Lions did not specify the exact ailment but Campbell seemed to confirm speculation that he was dealing with turf toe.
But one insider is warning that the team could take a major hit if St. Brown is unable to play against the Atlanta Falcons on September 24.
Lions Receiver ‘Day-to-Day’
Campbell spoke to reporters on Wednesday, saying that St. Brown was listed as “day-to-day” with the foot injury. St. Brown appeared to be limited during the team’s 37-31 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks on September 17, receiving treatment on his right foot during the game.
Fox broadcaster Greg Olson speculated that St. Brown was having a steel plate placed in his shoe, which would mean treatment for turf toe. As Reisman reported, Campbell addressed the speculation on Wednesday and said the team was going to play it safe with their star receiver.
“Well if he is, we’re going to put steel toe in the other shoe (too),” Campbell joked. “We had a player who did that. Only put it in one and wondered why his other foot hurts. So we’ll make sure to balance it out. We look into all that, and we’ll do whatever is needed to get him to where he feels right.”
St. Brown has been one of the team’s best performers through the first two weeks, leading the team with 12 receptions on 16 targets for a total of 173 receiving yards.
As Jeff Risdon of USA Today’s Lions Wire noted, Detroit’s offense could be in trouble if St. Brown is not able to play in Sunday’s game against the Falcons.
“It’s worth noting that the Lions passing offense ground to a halt in the joint practices against the Jacksonville Jaguars when St. Brown sat with a foot injury during the summer,” Risdon noted.
Injuries Piling Up for Lions
After making it through the first week largely unscathed, the Lions were hit hard by injuries both before and during Sunday’s overtime loss to the Seahawks. The team lost defensive lineman Josh Paschal to a practice injury, and saw a number of other key players go down during the game.
Defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffered a torn pectoral in the loss, an injury that is believed to be season-ending. Campbell left the door open for a late-season return, but said he felt terrible for the defensive back.
“Ended up being bad news,” said Campbell. “I hate it for him. You know, that’s tough. But look, we’ll see where this thing goes. And there’s a chance he comes back this season. Listen, we got Tracy, man. And that’s why Tracy Walker’s here. He’s somebody that — there’s a reason why we wanted to resign him. He was coming off injury, and man, it’s next man up.”