Well, Detroit Lions fans, at least you'll be getting a break from reading lengthy inactive reports for the next few months.
Ahead of the team's final 2025 bout, this time against the Chicago Bears on the road, several starters for Detroit were ruled out due to injury. Namely, Penei Sewell was named as an inactive player for Week 18. The star tackle is not worth risking, especially in such a meaningless contest for the Lions. Taylor Decker, his anchor on the opposite end of the line, was not on the inactive report.
In addition to Sewell, defensive lineman Alim McNeill was ruled out of this game. This means a huge loss of run defense for the Lions, who are going up against one of the better rushing teams in the NFL this season. Alex Anzalone, who might've already suited up for his last game as a Lion, would also be out of this one with a concussion.
Lions inactives report for Week 18 remains lengthy - what's new?
Detroit's full inactives report is as follows:
Player | Injury |
|---|---|
Penei Sewell | Ankle |
Alim McNeill | Abdomen |
Alex Anzalone | Concussion |
Kayode Awosika | Illness |
Thomas Harper | Concussion |
Dominic Lovett | N/A |
As for Chicago, who is seeking to help Caleb Williams become the first Bears quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards or more in a season, their inactives report is not as bad:
Inactives for #DETvsCHI: pic.twitter.com/qWba6u6K0Y
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) January 4, 2026
Not having Rome Odunze is a big loss for Williams in that quest for 4,000 yards, but he'll have rookie Luther Burden III as well as DJ Moore and Jahdae Walker ready to step up, most likely. And, the Bears have the luxury of having former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson calling plays against a very, very troubled Lions defense during the contest.
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Detroit being without a few key faces on their offensive line, in addition to having to trust Decker through his injury woes, means they might be dealing with some issues in both their run game and passing game.
Jared Goff was brought all the way back down to Earth on Christmas Day by the Minnesota Vikings defense, and he's looking to bounce back despite the line being even worse for wear than they were in that game. As for the defense, being without Anzalone stings as he's the complement to Jack Campbell in their starting linebacker unit.
Expect to see quite the grind for Detroit to close out their season, as we look ahead to free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft.