Nick

Fairley

Fairley didn’t even stretch with the team, a sign he isn’t close to a return. The No. 13 overall pick has been out since the beginning of training camp due a stress fracture and subsequent surgery.

“He’ll play a lot of football for us this year, let’s just put it that way,” said Schwartz. "... He’s going to be a big part of what we do here over the course of not just this season but long term and we want to make sure he’s right before we get him on the field.” Yet to resume practicing, Fairley is at least two weeks from game action.

Fairley practiced on Friday for the first time since suffering a stress fracture in early August, but likely won’t be rushed back to suit up for Detroit’s Week 4 visit to Dallas. The Lions begin a stretch of three consecutive home games in Week 5, making it an ideal time for the No. 13 overall pick to make his debut.

According to the Detroit Free Press, “all signs point” to the first-round pick making his NFL debut on Monday. Fairley will be used as a rotational pass rusher behind starting DTs Corey Williams and Ndamukong Suh if active, and is expected to be on a snap count.

Fairley took part in team drills at Lions practice for the first time all season on Friday. Although ESPN Chicago recently reported Fairley will be active on Monday, HC Jim Schwartz has stopped short of making any such declaration. If Fairley does play, his snaps will be extremely limited with so little practice time under his belt.

“I think I did OK,” Fairley said. “There’s always room for improvement.” While he didn’t show up in the box score, Fairley did find his way into the Bears’ backfield a few times. At full-health, he will back up Corey Williams and Ndamukong Suh as a situational pass rusher.

Fairley was arrested just after noon following a citizen complaint about a car speeding through the neighborhood several times. The franchise has now seen its first- and second-round picks from last season arrested for weed possession in a three-week span. As this was Fairley’s first known offense, he is unlikely to land in as much hot water as Mikel Leshoure.

Schwartz has high hopes for the 2011 first-rounder this season. “Nick is a very talented player, and Nick flashed everything that he needs to be an impact player in the National Football League, and he was in spots last year,” said Schwartz. "... He did something just about every day in practice that made you turn your head and say, ‘Holy mackerel.’”

Fairley went to the locker room late in the first quarter. It’s an ominous development after he missed seven of Detroit’s first eight games with a stress fracture in his left foot. Starting in place of a suspended Ndamukong Suh, Fairley was having his best game of the season before going down, notching two tackles and a sack. He’s been replaced by Sammie Lee Hill.

Fairley was having a whale of a game in Sunday’s loss before being forced to the locker room late in the first quarter. It’s the same left foot that cost him most of training camp and seven games. After getting good X-ray news, he got taped up and appeared ready to re-enter, but ended up not playing another snap. Coach Jim Schwartz should update Fairley’s status at his Monday press conference.