Before Detroit’s Thanksgiving matchup with the Packers, the team expected to welcome back several injured players, which meant clearing room on the 53-man roster. Initially, it looked like the Lions needed to free up three spots. But when the final injury report and the roster moves became official, one name appeared in only one place—and ultimately just two openings were required.
As anticipated, defensive end Marcus Davenport was activated, joining rookie offensive lineman Miles Frazier, who had reached the end of his 21-day return window. Davenport still had time left on his clock, but the team chose to bring him up anyway.
Defensive end Josh Paschal, who had been sidelined all season with a back issue, was also nearing the deadline to return. Although he was ruled out for the Thanksgiving game, he never made it onto the active roster from the Non-Football Injury list.
That confirmed it: Paschal’s season is officially over, and it ends without him playing a single snap.
Injuries Have Defined Josh Paschal’s Time in Detroit
This year carried major implications for Paschal. It was the final season of his rookie contract, and the Lions had invested a high second-round pick in him back in 2022. A healthy 2025 would have given Detroit a much-needed complementary pass-rushing presence alongside Aidan Hutchinson. Instead, injuries struck again.
Paschal’s NFL story has been overshadowed by health setbacks from the beginning. He opened his rookie year recovering from surgery to correct a sports hernia he originally suffered at Kentucky, costing him the first five games. Later that season, a knee issue forced him to miss two more. He ended Year 1 with two sacks—and both came in the same game.
The following season didn’t go much better. A knee injury during practice before Week 2 of the 2023 campaign sidelined him for five weeks, and he finished that year with one sack across 12 appearances.
In 2024, Paschal finally stayed mostly available, suiting up for a career-high 14 games and starting 10. His production, however, remained limited: two sacks and a Pro Football Focus grade that placed him well outside the top tier of edge rushers.
Back in late October, head coach Dan Campbell subtly hinted that the team was unsure whether Paschal would actually return this season.
“It’s a back injury, and he’s getting better,” Campbell said at the time, via SI.com. “We’re trying to be cautious with it. There are still things we need to see before we open his window.”
The Lions did eventually open that window on Nov. 5, and Paschal worked his way into full participation in practice. But two days before the Thanksgiving game, he was suddenly listed as a non-participant.
With his year ending before he could make it back onto the field, the writing is on the wall: Paschal’s tenure in Detroit is probably nearing its conclusion. As he heads toward free agency in March, his focus will shift to getting healthy and trying to revive his career elsewhere.
