The Lions have placed safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson on injured reserve with a pectoral injury, but he may not be out for the entire season.
That’s at least what head coach Dan Campbell said in his Wednesday press conference after confirming Gardner-Johnson will undergo surgery.
“Don’t quite know, but I know that the reports that we’ve gotten back on it is that it was a very clean injury and that’s normally good for surgery, recovery, all of those things,” Campbell said, “so I certainly think there’s a chance that we get him back.”
Gardner-Johnson signed a one-year, $8 million deal to join the Lions in March after spending last season with the Eagles. He recorded 13 total tackles and two passes defensed in Detroit’s first two games.
“Losing a guy like C.J. is going to hurt anytime,” Campbell said. “He’s an impactful player and his energy is infectious. And look, I hate it, I hate it for him. I hate it for him. I hate it for us. But man, this train doesn’t stop, and so with that, man, I think him being around has definitely made guys better, those around him better.
“And there again, just goes back to the injury question, hey, man, we’re fortunate. We’ve got Tracy [Walker] and he’ll be ready to roll. And now, some of that energy, that slack’s got to be picked up by the rest of the guys. It’s got to come from somewhere else and it doesn’t have to come from one, it ought to come collectively is what it ought to do.”
The 1-1 Lions will take on the 2-0 Falcons this weekend in Detroit.
