Lions injury update: Taylor Decker improving, status unclear vs. Packers

The Detroit Lions are dealing with a ton of injuries on the defensive side of the ball, but there’s also a lingering injury on offense that could have a big impact on the team’s Thursday game against the Green Bay Packers. Left tackle Taylor Decker is dealing with a knee injury that caused him to miss last week’s contest against the Chicago Bears.

On Sunday, Lions coach Dan Campbell offered an update on Decker, and it sounds like his status will be determined close to kickoff.

“(He’s doing) better and better. You know, I still think he’s day-to-day,” Campbell said. “I think it’ll come down to the wire with him whether he can go or not this week. It’s certainly better.”

If Decker can’t go, the Lions will likely lean on Dan Skipper to step into the starting lineup for the second week in a row. What will be interesting to follow is whether Detroit will move Penei Sewell from right tackle to left tackle or just slip Skipper into left tackle. In the two previous games in which Decker missed a game, Skipper just filled in at left tackle, but in both instances, the Lions did not have ample time to get Sewell reps at left tackle during the week of practices. They have a little more time this week, but with Decker’s status up in the air, they may just keep Sewell on the right side in the hopes that Decker clears.

As a reminder, here are the latest updates on the other Lions players currently dealing with injuries, as given by Campbell:

• Mekhi Wingo (knee) — Placed on IR, out for season

“His [injury] will probably require surgery, so that’s another one. Hate that for him, but I think everything will be clean and he’ll be healed up for next year and that’s good news.”

• Malcolm Rodriguez (knee) — Torn ACL, placed on IR, out for season

“The good news is once he has this [surgery] done, he’ll be good to go next year and he’ll be healthy and ready to roll.”

• Levi Onwuzurike (hamstring) + Josh Paschal (knee) — Day-to-day, but Campbell not optimistic about this week

“Paschal, it’s hard to say. Really, he and Levi are day-to-day. I think Paschal’s got a better shot (to play) than Levi, but I don’t know. I’m not real optimistic about either one of them playing, but I guess Paschal’s got a better shot.”

• Emmanuel Moseley (no specified injury) — Expected to play this week

“I think he’s going to be good to go.”

To deal with all of these injuries, the Lions have made the following roster moves in the past two days:

• Signed DL Myles Adams from Seahawks practice squad
• Signed LB Kwon Alexander from Broncos practice squad
• Signed DL Jonah Williams from Rams practice squad
• Signed DB Jamal Adams to practice squad