Lions Hit Hard by Injuries: Rodriguez and Wingo Out for the Season

The Lions have officially placed linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez and defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo on injured reserve, according to a team announcement.

Head coach Dan Campbell confirmed that both players are out for the remainder of the season, as reported by team writer Tim Twentyman.

Rodriguez suffered a torn ACL during Thursday’s win over the Bears, while Wingo sustained a knee injury but managed to finish the game.

Further evaluation revealed Wingo would require surgery, ending his season as well.

These injuries were among several sustained by the Lions on Thanksgiving,

with Josh Paschal (knee) and Levi Onwuzurike (hamstring) considered day-to-day ahead of their Week 14 Thursday night matchup.

Wingo, a rookie defensive tackle, appeared in all 11 of the Lions’ games this season, playing 176 defensive snaps and 44 on special teams.

The sixth-round pick recorded nine tackles but had yet to make an impact in the pass rush.

To address the losses, Detroit signed Jonah Williams off the Rams’ practice squad on Friday to bolster their defensive line.

They also added Myles Adams from the Seahawks’ practice squad on Saturday.

Adams, who played three games for Seattle this year with 36 snaps and three tackles, will join Brodric Martin, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and Pat O’Connor in covering the snaps left by Wingo, as well as Paschal and Onwuzurike if they are unavailable for Thursday.

At linebacker, Trevor Nowaske is expected to step up in Rodriguez’s absence. Nowaske has played just under 28% of the Lions’ defensive snaps this season and will see an increased role in three-linebacker formations.

The team also signed veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander from the Broncos’ practice squad to provide additional depth.

Meanwhile, linebacker Derrick Barnes remains a potential option to return from his September knee injury that initially seemed season-ending.

With two open roster spots following the IR designations, the Lions waived wide receiver Maurice Alexander to make room for the new additions.

Alexander appeared in only one game this season, logging eight snaps exclusively on special teams.

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