Heading into Sunday’s season finale against the Green Bay Packers, the Detroit Lions have activated Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell off the reserve/COVID-19 list.
On Monday, the Detroit Lions put starting offensive tackles Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell on the COVID-19 list. That made it possible they could be cleared to play Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, and on Saturday the team announced both have been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list.
In other roster moves, linebacker Tavante Beckett and offensive tackle Dan Skipper were elevated to the active roster from the practice squad. Cornerback Saivion Smith was signed to the practice squad, while wide receiver Juwan Green and running back Rodney Smith were released from the practice squad.
So the Lions could have their starting tackles for Sunday’s game. But Sewell and Will Holden, who was lined up to fill-in along with Matt Nelson if Decker and Sewell had remained on the COVID list, were added to the injury report for Sunday and listed as questionable.
#Lions T Will Holden (illness) and T Penei Sewell (thumb/illness) have been added to the Game Status Report and are listed as Questionable for Sunday’s game vs. Green Bay.
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 8, 2022
The Lions should have at least starting one offensive tackle back vs. Packers
Sewell is listed with a thumb injury as well as an illness, so be might be legitimately questionable for the season finale. Holden has not been put on the COVID list (yet anyway), so it’s fair to tentatively assume he’s not dealing with a COVID-related illness.
But it looks like Decker only needed to be cleared off the reserve/COVID-19 list to play Sunday, with no subsequent need to list him with an injury upon his activation. He has cleared that hurdle, and should be good to go against Green Bay.
As the Lions look to end a rough season on a good note, they’ll take whatever hands can be on deck. Having one starting offensive tackle available is better than zero, but ideally Sewell will find a way to be good to go too.