Detroit Lions LB Alex Anzalone expected to miss game vs. New Orleans Saints
Alex Anzalone might not get to face his old team when the Detroit Lions visit the New Orleans Saints this week.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said Monday that Anzalone could be out "a little bit" with an injury he suffered in last week's Thanksgiving loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Anzalone leads the Lions with 87 tackles through 11 games. He appeared to injure his left hand or arm in the second half against the Packers.
Troubled by injuries early in his career, Anzalone has been mostly healthy during his three seasons in Detroit and this year is in the midst of his best season as a pro.
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He has three sacks, nine quarterback hits and one fumble recovery, and has been one of the Lions' best defensive players since moving from middle to weak side linebacker this spring.
A third-round pick by the Saints in 2017, Anzalone spent four seasons in New Orleans and twice played four or fewer games.
He was one of the Lions' first signings in 2021 under Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, both of whom spent time with the Saints.
Campbell said the Lions (8-3) also could be without left guard Jonah Jackson this week for a third straight game. Jackson has not practiced since injuring his wrist in a Week 10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He also missed three games earlier this season with a high ankle sprain.
The Lions benched Jackson's replacement, rookie Colby Sorsdal, late in the first half against the Packers, and could start Kayode Awosika at left guard Sunday.
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"I’m assuming Jonah’s not playing until he tells me he’s playing, and then I’ll know," Campbell said. "Other than that, we’ll see."
Plan for QB Hooker
Last week he was trending on Twitter. This week, he could be back at practice.
Campbell said Monday that the team is planning to open the practice window for Hooker this week ahead of Sunday's game.
“I think we will,” Campbell said Monday. “Brad (Holmes) and I talked about it last week.”
Hooker tore the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee last November, in his final college game at Tennessee, and has been on the nonfootball injury list since the beginning of training camp.
Hooker told the Free Press earlier this month he was “around 90%” healed from his injury. He’s been a regular observer at practices and an active participant in meetings the past few months, but cannot take practice reps or get hands-on work with the coaching staff.
Once Hooker returns to practice, which could happen as soon as Wednesday, the Lions will have 21 days to activate him to the 53-man roster or return him to NFI for the remainder of the season.
A third-round pick out of Tennessee, Hooker faces a steep learning curve in the NFL coming from Tennessee’s spread offense, but was considered one of the top quarterback prospects in last year’s draft.
Campbell said it is important for Hooker to get fundamental work and practice reps this season.
“By rules we can’t coach him, so that’s why,” Campbell said. “We can have him in meetings but he can’t be out there and going through any fundamental work, he’s just got to kind of stand there. So that’s where it helps, to be able to actually do individual work with him. Have him take a snap. That’s why it’s big.”
Hooker is unlikely to play a significant if any role with the Lions over the final six weeks of the regular season and in the playoffs.
Teddy Bridgewater will remain the Lion’s No. 2 quarterback behind starter Jared Goff once Hooker is elevated to the 53-man roster. Veteran David Blough, the No. 3 quarterback, is currently on practice squad.
Both Bridgewater and Blough are on expiring contracts. Hooker, who is under contract through 2026, is expected to compete for the backup job next season, and his work over the next six-plus weeks should give him a jumpstart on winning the job and the Lions an idea of where he's at developmentally.
Briefly
The Carolina Panthers fired former Lions' assistant head coach/running backs Duce Staley on Monday as part of a large staff overhaul. Staley, a Lions assistant in 2021-22, left for a similar role with the Panthers last winter to be closer to his family in South Carolina. The Panthers also fired head coach Frank Reich 11 games into his tenure, and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown.
"I haven’t talked to anybody out there yet," Campbell said. "I just kind of found out about that. So it’s unfortunate. I hate that for him, but you don’t want to hear anybody losing their job. It’s tough."
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions' Alex Anzalone, Jonah Jackson could miss Saints game
