The Detroit Lions have practice on Wednesday ahead of their Week 9 road trip to Miami, but ahead of that trip, head coach Dan Campbell has provided some pretty major updates on several Lions players that went down against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8.
According to Campbell, rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder - who went down on the same play as Jack Campbell on Sunday - will be out for the season with a hamstring injury that might require surgery.
As for Cade Mays (ankle), Brian Branch (concussion protocol), DJ Wonnum (concussion protocol), and D.J. Reed (hip), they will not be practicing on Wednesday, per Campbell. Branch and Wonnum will have to go through concussion protocols in order to be active for the Lions' game against the Dolphins this week.
Lions' injury updates paint a bleak picture ahead of Week 9
Campbell opened up his availability providing an update on linebacker Jack Campbell, and Lions PR shared the following update on his condition:
Jack Campbell continues to rest and recover at a local hospital. Preliminary indications are positive and out of respect for Jack and his family we will not share further information at this time.
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 2, 2026
Campbell commented on his value to the Lions as both the captain, and generally just as a good human to be around, telling reporters:
"You get voted captain, that says a ton...he earned every bit of that. He's a guy who's trustworthy, he's dependable. He'd give you the shirt off his back. He's all heart, all effort. Just an unbelievable person. Down to Earth, genuine. There's not a man on this team that doesn't respect Jack Campbell, and doesn't care about him"
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Later in his availability, he commented on the concussions suffered by Branch and Wonnum, Branch's style of tackling, and the nature of the game of football after so many tough injuries hit the Lions in Week 8, saying, "this is a violent game, and it's what we signed up for. It's tough."
Detroit's depth at linebacker following Rolder, Campbell updates
Campbell noted to reporters that he feels that the team has plenty of depth at the linebacker position to address the two injuries to Rolder and Campbell. Trevor Nowaske has been great in spurts for the team, and they still have Malcolm Rodriguez, Derrick Barnes, and Amen Ogbongbemiga healthy. The team also has the trade deadline at their disposal to address their depth here, but they likely want to see how the defense fares against Miami before pulling the trigger on any moves.
As for Branch and Wonnum, two starters on defense, they will need to go through the five steps related to the return-to-participation protocol: symptom-limited activity, aerobic exercise, football-specific exercise, club-based non-contact training drills, and then full football activity clearance. There's a fair chance neither suit up this week.
This opens the door for rookie edge rusher Derrick Moore to make an impact for the Lions as a starter in Week 9, as he looked good against Minnesota filling in for Wonnum. It also potentially opens the door for Ahmed Hassanein to finally be active on game day.
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