Lions rookie Josh Paschal dealing with lingering ‘lower extremity’ injury

The biggest reason for Josh Paschal not practicing at minicamp seemed abundantly obvious, and it still is, but he’s apparently also dealing with an injury.

Rookie defensive end Josh Paschal was the most notable absence from visibility on the practice field on Day 1 of Detroit Lions mandatory minicamp Tuesday. The reason was easily clear, and not reckless speculation like some have suggested. He has not yet signed his rookie contract, and with that it makes no sense for him to take on injury risk under the guise of something being mandatory for those who are under contract.

That wasn’t to dismiss the possibility Paschal is dealing with an injury, until confirmed one way or the other.

On Wednesday, via Kyle Meinke of MLive, Lions head coach Dan Campbell told the media Paschal is dealing with a “lower extremity” injury.

"We’re trying to be smart with him,” head coach Dan Campbell said before practice on Wednesday. “He’s got a lower-extremity injury that we’re just trying to be smart (with). There will be a couple guys that we back of today just to be smart. Trying to get them out of here healthy.”"

Detroit Lions: Is Josh Paschal dealing with a concerning lingering injury?

Paschal dealt with a lower body injury late last season at Kentucky, described as a groin and leg issue, to the point he sat out the Wildcats’ bowl game and then backed out of the Senior Bowl. He didn’t do every drill at the NFL Combine, and he missed some Lions’ OTA practices with the injury.

Paschal once said he was “all good” and “100 percent”. Now he is set to miss minicamp, with his readiness for training camp the next question.

Caution is fine and expected for the Lions to exercise with any injury situation right now, and they don’t have to disclose anything specific–hence the use of the hockey-like term “lower extremity.”

Paschal has been dealing with this issue off and on for what looks like six or seven months, and that has to be some level of a concern.

It may be a simple matter of resting the injury in a way he hasn’t been able to, as he’s gone through the pre-draft process, OTAs, etc. If Paschal is still iffy with his “lower extremity” injury at the start of training camp roughly a month and a half from now, then the level of concern will turn up.

Just don’t expect Campbell (or anyone else) to openly convey a high level of concern for an injury the Lions’ second-round pick can’t seem to shake, if it gets to that point next month.