Detroit Lions welcome back All-Pro wide receiver to practice; 5 players still sidelined
Detroit Lions All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown made his return to practice on Thursday.
St. Brown sat out Wednesday’s session due to a wrist issue, but he was back on the field looking completely healthy. He participated fully in drills and didn’t appear to be wearing any sort of brace or protection on his wrists.
The star wideout continues to perform at an elite level through five games this season. St. Brown has hauled in 35 passes for 407 yards and six touchdowns. He’s coming off another standout outing, grabbing eight of nine targets for 100 yards — his second 100-yard effort of the year.
“He was a huge reason we won that game,” Lions offensive coordinator John Morton said about St. Brown’s performance in Cincinnati. “Like I’ve said before, it doesn’t matter what the coverage looks like, I’ll still call his number. He’s dependable, and the quarterback trusts him completely.”
Kalif Raymond was also seen back at Thursday’s practice. The receiver and return specialist went through every position drill. Raymond sustained a neck injury last weekend and left in the opening quarter.
Safety Kerby Joseph was present on the field as well. However, the All-Pro defender didn’t have his helmet on during the open viewing period and remained apart from the defensive backs group. It’s likely he’ll be listed as a non-participant once again.
Joseph has been battling ongoing knee issues since training camp. He’s transitioned from wearing a sleeve to a larger brace lately. Even so, he’s stayed productive as Detroit’s premier takeaway threat, tallying three interceptions in five games as he looks to defend his league-leading title.
Arnold is expected to sit out a couple of weeks despite receiving encouraging news after his second opinion. As for Decker, his continued absence isn’t surprising. He missed last week’s contest as Detroit opted to give him additional recovery time for the long season ahead.
The Lions are evaluating multiple offensive line options should Decker be unavailable against Kansas City. Rookie Giovanni Manu could earn his second career start, while Dan Skipper and Devin Cochran also remain possibilities if the team adjusts its plan.
For now, Detroit doesn’t anticipate shifting Penei Sewell from right tackle to left.
“We’ve talked about it. The thing is, Sewell could easily play there,” head coach Dan Campbell said. “He’d just want some reps — ‘Give me a few reps and I’m good.’ He could step in and handle it no problem. But it’s really more about the other guys and where they fit best.
“Sewell’s versatile enough to do anything, so we tend to look elsewhere first. It’s not completely off the table, but it’s probably not our first move, to be honest.”