Why we don’t know more about Detroit Lions star Jack Campbell’s injury, why that’s OK and what fans should do right now
Everyone wants to know how Jack Campbell is doing after Sunday’s frightening injury, but there are things more important than getting answers. Here’s why respecting his family’s privacy is the best thing we can do.
The Detroit Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, but the win took a back seat to a very scary moment involving linebacker Jack Campbell. By now, you’ve seen it or heard about it. You probably know at least part of what happened.
Outside of passing along updates, I’ve mostly kept quiet on the situation. Today, I want to lay out where things stand with Campbell’s neck injury and what we actually know. Then I want to talk about something bigger than football for a minute.
What we know about Jack Campbell’s neck injury
Campbell went down during the game and appeared to go limp. Photographer Lon Horwedel, who shoots a lot of Lions games, wrote on his Instagram that what you didn’t see on TV was that Campbell’s jersey was cut off before he was put on the stretcher. He also said Campbell was placed in a neck brace to help stabilize him before he was taken away.
The Lions officially labeled it a neck injury. That’s the full extent of what we know about the injury itself.
Here’s what else we know. Campbell was breathing and alert before he left the stadium. Once he got to the hospital, the Lions reported that the preliminary findings were positive.
Lions coach Dan Campbell also spoke with Jack Campbell’s parents and wife. He said they were in good spirits and viewed it as a small setback. The head coach explained that this is such a positive family that they would look at anything as a small setback. He also said the linebacker was getting better.
On Tuesday, Dan Campbell went on 97.1 The Ticket and said in three different instances that Jack Campbell was improving.
What we don’t know, and why that has to be OK
That brings me to the harder part. We don’t know the answers to some simple but gigantic questions. We don’t know if Campbell has movement in his extremities. We don’t know if this is a broken neck or a spinal concussion. We don’t know if he’s going to be fine.
I know you desperately want those answers. So do I, and not just from a professional standpoint. Sure, it’s part of my job. I want to report it to you.
But I’ve spent the last 13 years writing and talking about these players every single day. I’ve been around them and interviewed them when I’ve had the chance. I’m not close with any of them, but I don’t look at them as celebrities or football players. They’re people, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to any of them.
Now, I know this part is going to be tough for a lot of Lions fans and football fans in general. We live in a society that treats public jobs like public property. Athletes, actors, musicians, and politicians all get the same treatment. You’re famous, so we get to know everything.
The truth is that the Lions owe us nothing. Jack Campbell owes us nothing. His family owes us nothing. They don’t have to tell us anything, and they may never tell us anything.
Eventually, we’ll find out whether Campbell is playing for Detroit again. Some sort of information will come out at some point. Until then, the best thing we can do as media, as fans, and as human beings is give this family time. Let Jack Campbell, the man, figure out what’s going on with his life and his body.
The best way to support Jack Campbell
I believe Lions fans when they say they care about Campbell as a person. This is one of those moments that shows how great people can be. Everyone is pulling together to support him, and it has nothing to do with needing him on the field to win a Super Bowl.
I’ve yet to see a single fan say he needs to get back out there no matter how his body feels. That makes me proud of this fan base.
That being said, the best way to be behind Campbell right now is to almost not think about it. I know that’s hard. Let it breathe. Let whatever happens, happen. When we get updates, we’ll get updates.
People are still going to ask, of course. Dan Campbell is set to meet with reporters Wednesday, and the first question will likely be about his linebacker. My guess is he won’t say much.
Keep in mind that teams aren’t required to say what an injury actually is. Detroit will tell you a player has a knee injury without saying what’s wrong with the knee. Lions cornerback D.J. Reed has a hip injury. That’s all we know, and the team isn’t required to tell anyone more.
Most importantly, please do not go to any of the family members’ social media accounts and ask what’s going on. Don’t look for them. Don’t ask other players on their social media, either.
Give the family space. Keep Campbell and his loved ones in your thoughts, and if you’re religious, keep them in your prayers. We’ll hope for the best and see what happens.
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