Detroit Lions Week 7 injury report: T.J. Hockenson doesn’t practice Wednesday, says he will play

The Detroit Lions were back on the practice field on Wednesday as they prepare for a Week 7 matchup with the Rams in Los Angeles.

It was a mixed bag of good and bad news today, with a few start players' injuries raising some eyebrows, but it’s early in the week, so it’s too early to make any assumptions or worry too much.

Returned to practice, Still on IR

• LT Taylor Decker (finger) — Day 8 of the 21-day evaluation period
• DL Kevin Strong (thigh) — Day 8 of the 21-day evaluation period
• DL Da’Shawn Hand (groin) — Day 1 of the 21-day evaluation period

While everyone eagerly awaits the return of left tackle Taylor Decker, coach Dan Campbell poured some cold water on the situation at his afternoon press conference.

“We’ve only got another two-week window here on him since we started his clock,” Campbell said. “So we’re going to have to figure something out in the next couple of weeks on him. One way or another, whether he’s on the roster, activated, ready to go, or if not, we have to put him down for the rest of the season, it’ll come. I really don’t know where this is going to go short-term. I don’t. I really don’t right now. We’ll just have to see how he feels.”

Decker missed practice on Wednesday—he also missed last Friday—and the open spot on the roster that most believed was being held for him was filled this morning when the team signed WR Geronimo Allison. Not super promising signs.

On a positive note, Da’Shawn Hand returned to practice today after missing over two months with a groin injury, thus starting his 21-day clock.

Now, Let’s take a closer look at the official injury report from Wednesday.

No practice on Wednesday

• TE T.J. Hockenson (knee)
• FB Jason Cabinda (hip)
• DT Nick Williams (knee)

This is the third week in a row Hockenson has not practiced on Wednesday, but each of the last two weeks he has returned to limited practices the rest for the week and then been available to play on Sunday. Hockenson was made available to the media today—a good sign, as injured players don’t often meet with the media on week’s they don’t play—and he said he would play against the Rams.

Cabinda did not appear to be injured in last weekend’s game, but is listed with a hip injury. He was at practice, but was not padded up and did not participate in any on-field drills.

Williams appeared to injure his ankle early in last Sunday’s game but managed to return to action and played on 50 percent of the Lions' defensive snaps. However, on the injury report, it is listed as a knee injury. On the surface, this looks like a rest management day, but it’s possible his injury has worsened since the game.

Limited practice

• RB D’Andre Swift (groin)
• EDGE Trey Flowers (knee)
• EDGE Charles Harris (hip/oblique)
• DT Michael Brockers (shoulder)
• S Wil Harris (hip)

Swift and Flowers have all taken limited practices all season, but they have all been available on game days. Once again, the Lions appear to be managing their workload early in the week in order to properly prepare them for Sunday.

Harris injured his oblique last Sunday, and on Monday, Campbell said he would be “day-to-day” while they see where his injury is at. A limited practice is a step in the right direction for his availability.

Brockers is back on the injury report after coming off of it last week. He is listed with the same shoulder injury that he had been dealing with since the beginning of the season. It’s unclear if this is a re-injury, a setback or even the same shoulder injury he was dealing with before.

Harris managed 85 percent of defensive snaps last game and didn’t appear injured. It’s hard to say if this limited work will carry over to the game this weekend, but getting in some work is always encouraging.

No longer on the injury report

• CB Amani Oruwariye (hip)
• G Jonah Jackson (shoulder)
• RB Jamaal Williams (hip)

Both Oruwariye and Jackson were limited last week, but returned to a full practice on Friday, did not carry an injury designation into the game, and each played 100 percent of snaps on their side of the ball.