Lions hoping to get an under the radar, but big and much-needed return from injury against the Rams
Shane Zysltra could help the Lions replace some of Sam LaPorta’s production.
I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but the Detroit Lions are struggling with tight end health right now. Sam LaPorta is out for the rest of the season, and there’s a chance that Brock Wright could be, too. But don’t freak.
We’ve already gone into great depth on how the recently claimed Hayden Rucci can be a big help for this team, but there’s another guy who can help, too — a player who’s been here a while.
Lions are hoping to get Shane Zysltra back on Sunday against the Rams
Shane Zylstra has been with the Lions for the last five seasons, and he’s been a pretty solid depth tight end. Unfortunately, he was injured in training camp and hasn’t played all year. Last week, he returned to practice, and on Wednesday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that barring any setbacks, the Lions would love to have him play on Sunday.
That’s a big deal for this offense because Zylstra is more of a receiving tight end than a blocking tight end. He won’t give you some of the stuff that LaPorta can give you, but he can open up the Lions’ passing game and present some mismatches for linebackers in coverage. That can go a long way in helping them maintain this strong offense.
In addition to Zysltra, Campbell said the Lions are looking to get Christian Mahogany more involved in practice this week and hope to get him back this season. We’ll see where that goes, but getting your starting left guard back is big.
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