Source: Detroit Lions fear Kerry Hyder Jr. has a torn Achilles
After being carted off early in the Detroit Lions preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts. a source says the Lions believe defensive end Kerry Hyder Jr. has tore his Achilles.
Last season, one of the issues for the Detroit Lions was getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. But the one shining light along their defensive line was the emergence of defensive end Kerry Hyder Jr., who ended up leading the team in sacks with 8.0. But after Sunday’s preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts, Hyder might be lost for the season.
Hyder suffered a lower leg injury early in the Lions matchup against the Colts in Indianapolis. The 26-year old was seen writhing on the ground in tremendous pain. Hyder had to be carted off the field.
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, a source tells him that the Lions believe Hyder may have tore his Achilles. The team will do more tests on Monday to confirm the diagnosis.
Lions fear DE Kerry Hyder tore his Achilles, per source. More tests Monday. https://t.co/qQKLlTrxmk
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 13, 2017
The estimated time for a NFL player to return from this type of injury is approximately 11 months. That would mean Hyder’s season is over.
UPDATE: According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Hyder did indeed suffer a season-ending Achilles injury.
#Lions DE Kerry Hyder, one of their breakout players from 2016 with 8 sacks, is out for 2017. Source said he tore his Achilles. Brutal.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 14, 2017
#Lions DE Kerry Hyder will have surgery this week and begin the rehab process immediately. Hyder will be back ready for camp next season
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 14, 2017
If this news is true, it’s a major blow to the Lions’ defensive line that ranked 30th in the NFL last season in sacks. That was mainly due to the poor play of Detroit’s most dominate pass rusher, Ziggy Ansah, who posted just 2.0 sacks in 13 games in 2016. Ansah struggled with an ankle injury all year and currently sits on the Lions’ Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
Without Hyder in the lineup for the foreseeable future, the Lions will likely turn to their young group of rushers to step up. Players like defensive ends Anthony Zettel and Alex Barrett have been making some early noise through training camp. Detroit will also rely on their free agent signee from the offseason, defensive end Cornelius Washington, to help fill the void.
Next: Detroit Lions defeat Colts in preseason opener, 24-10
But there would be no better assist to the Detroit Lions’ pass rush than a healthy Ziggy Ansah returning to form, as he posted a whopping 14.5 sacks and garnered his first Pro Bowl bid in 2015.