Detroit Lions roster news: Plans revealed for C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Hendon Hooker, Jason Cabinda

As the final three games of the regular season and the playoffs approach, the Detroit Lions have some roster maneuvering to do as players get close to coming back from injury.

Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was cleared to practice last week as he works his way back from a torn pectoral, essentially locking in the Dec. 20 return date he teased back in November.

The Lions are basically at the end of the 21-day window to put rookie quarterback Hendon Hooker on the 53-man roster. Head coach Dan Campbell was non-committal about it just a few days ago.

Jason Cabinda has been out since Week 3 due to a knee injury, and he has been eligible to come off IR for awhile now. The Lions have used linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez and tight ends Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright at fullback in his absence.

Dan Campbell updates plans for C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Hendon Hooker and Jason Cabinda

During his Monday press conference, Campbell said the team is planning to start the 21-day practice windows on Gardner-Johnson and Cabinda this week. They of course won't count against the 53-man roster until they are activated, which can be at any time once that three-week window is started on Wednesday.

As for Hooker, the plan is to put him on the active roster.

"I think we’re going to try to get Hooker on the roster,” Campbell said.

The Lions want to be able to keep working with Hooker in normal practice settings, rather than shut him down for the season. But they have to immediately create a roster spot for him if they're going to carry him as the No. 3 quarterback.

Gardner-Johnson and Cabinda are unlikely to play in Week 16 against the Minnesota Vikings. Week 17 against the Dallas Cowboys feels more likely for both. But they will also need an available roster spot, as may James Houston and Alim McNeill in the next few weeks. The likelihood Bruce Irvin will be signed to the active roster at some point means yet another roster spot will have to be opened up.

So as the Lions move toward locking down a playoff spot and likely the NFC North, they have a lot of roster moves in front of them.