It was known that defensive lineman D.J. Reader would miss a significant amount of time during the summer due to his recovery from a ruptured quad, when the Lions signed him earlier in free agency this offseason.
Head coach Dan Campbell provided an update on the veteran’s recovery schedule on Thursday before practice, speculating that Reader would not be ready to play by the beginning of training camp the following month.
Reader first suffered a torn quad in 2020, although this is the second time he has sustained one; the first occurred in Week 15 of the previous season.
Although Reader sustained the injury in Week 5 of the previous season, the initial torn quad did not keep him from being ready for the 2021 season. Though there’s no guarantee that this one will keep him out until beyond Week 1, the longer he misses training camp, the more likely that is.
Wednesday night, cornerback Khalil Dorsey was taken off the field due to an injury he sustained close to the finish of practice. Fortunately, it’s not a catastrophic injury, as Campbell stated that Dorsey’s ankle is hurt.
Dorsey, who had registered a pick-six in back-to-back sessions, is hurting at the wrong time. When the Lions finish up their organized team activities the next week, we’ll see if he can return to the field; if not, training camp will be his next stop.
