Detroit Lions guard Ben Bartch might have just seen his opportunity to stick to a roster slip away, with head coach Dan Campbell telling reporters on Thursday that he suffered a concussion during training camp this week.
Bartch has been a potential option for Detroit at left guard headed into this season, with that competition remaining wide open as we head into Week 2 of the preseason. But, between missing time as he rehabbed from a previous foot injury and now missing time due to entering concussion protocol, it's hard to imagine a world where he can win the job.
He came into camp with a ton of untapped potential, but as Detroit learned from investing one more year in Marcus Davenport last year, sometimes injuries mask far too much of that underlying potential.
Bartch likely to miss the cut with another injury setback
With Bartch now in concussion protocol, the Lions' left guard competition is between Christian Mahogany, Miles Frazier, and Juice Scruggs. Scruggs might get some looks at both left guard and center, while Detroit has also been experimenting with Frazier at tackle. Mahogany has the lead in this race, to be sure, but Scruggs could sneak up on Mahogany with great showings in preseason.
Things are already beginning to get just a bit hairy with the Lions' offensive line, as right guard and left tackle might be the only settled position along their O-line. Tate Ratledge has a firm hold there, and even then, he's an option for Detroit at center, too.
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This throws a wrench into the Lions' plans on offense this year already, as they want to get back to their ground game being their bread and butter. You can't really rely on Jahmyr Gibbs' superstardom if you have no consistent run blocking on your line. While Penei Sewell and rookie Blake Miller seem to be excelling in that area, the middle of Detroit's line is still in flux.
Head coach Dan Campbell recently sat down with Lions reporter Brad Galli and discussed their line, telling Galli that he does believe this is a better unit than what they were working with in 2025. Well, that confidence that he's attempting to instill in Lions fans flies out the window when you're already dealing with a big injury in your center room, and now, losing a depth piece at left guard.
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