After missing last week’s game, Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown will take a step toward returning to action on Sunday.
Amon-Ra St. Brown missed last week’s game against the Seattle Seahawks with a right ankle injury, not that the Detroit Lions’ offense missed many (if any) beats in his absence. With missed practices to start the new week on Wednesday and Thursday, a second missed game seemed to be coming.
During his Friday morning press conference, Lions head coach Dan Campbell had a promising update on St. Brown.
"Saint is going to give it a go today,” coach Dan Campbell said in his Friday morning press conference."
Amon-Ra St. Brown may return Sunday vs. the Patriots
Being able to practice on Friday does not make it a guarantee St. Brown will play Sunday against the New England Patriots. With a bye week coming in Week 6, the Lions will be cautious with their best wide receiver so as to avoid him being out longer than initial optimism pointed to.
Campbell went further about the prospect of St. Brown being able to play Sunday.
"Anytime you can get a player like him back, it helps from production but also just what he brings,” Campbell said. “He’s a spark plug. He’s a leader. He’s a hard-hat guy. He’s going to bring his lunch pail and go to work. Just to have him in any capacity would be very helpful.”"
St. Brown will certainly be all-in and all-out for his typical snap share if he plays on Sunday, and any idea of limits won’t sit well with him. So Campbell’s idea of “just to have him in any capacity” may turn toward a listing of doubtful or out on Friday’s final injury report, if only to protect St. Brown from himself on what could still be a fairly injured ankle.
But any positive sign St. Brown could play this week is good news. We know he’ll want to play, and he’ll do everything he can from a treatment perspective to suit up if the door is open to do so.