Lions injury designations: 4 players questionable vs. Bengals

4 players are questionable for Sunday, but most seem likely to play vs. Bengals.

The Detroit Lions declared their Week 6 injury designations ahead of their matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at Ford Field. While they have four of their six injured players listed with questionable designations, all are expected to play on Sunday.

Return to practice tracker

• LT Taylor Decker (finger) — Day 3 of the 21-day evaluation period
• DL Kevin Strong (thigh) — Day 3 of the 21-day evaluation period

On Friday morning, the Lions placed starting kick returner Corey Ballentine (hamstring) on injured reserve, which opened up a spot on the active roster. That open spot will likely be filled by either Decker or Strong once they are ready to contribute, but when that might be isn’t known at this time.

“We’re just taking it day-by-day,” coach Dan Campbell said about Decker at his Friday press conference. “He’s been getting used to it. He went out there Wednesday, kind of had a bigger club if you will, and then we reduced it Thursday and got him some reps. It’s hard to say right now. We’ll do some more today and then see where we’re at. We still have a roster spot with (Corey) Ballentine down, so we’ll just kind of play it by ear.”

Unfortunately, Decker was unable to practice on Friday which is a pretty strong indicator that he likely won’t be activated for this game.

Strong is also not likely to be activated, as Campbell said Strong was “a little further away. We’ve got him back and he is practicing, but I think he’s probably about a week out.”

With an open spot, the Lions have the option to make another roster move but because they are up against the cap—due to all the money invested in players on injured reserve—but they will more than likely enter the game with just 52-players on the active roster, something they did against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3.

Ruled out

• None

After placing Ballentine on injured reserve, the remaining injured Lions were able to get in practice time this week and are all listed as questionable to do not carry an injury designation.

Questionable

• RB D’Andre Swift (groin)
• RB Jamaal Williams (illness/hip)
• TE T.J. Hockenson (knee)
• EDGE Trey Flowers (knee)

Swift has seen limited work throughout the practices most weeks this season, but come game time, has not looked limited and that pattern is expected to continue this week as well.

Williams missed Thursday’s practice with an illness but was able to return to practice on Friday. He has been dealing with a hip injury that has limited him the last two weeks, but like Swift, has been good to go come game time.

Hockenson was rested on Wednesday and return to listed practices with a compression sleeve on his leg. He played through the knee injury last week and is also expected to be available on Sunday.

Flowers’ knee injury cost him Weeks 3 and 4, but he was able to return to action in Week 5 and appears on track to start again on Week 6.

No injury designation

• LG Jonah Jackson (shoulder)
• CB Amani Oruwariye (hip)

Jackson was new to the injury report this week, and while his shoulder injury limited him on Thursday, he was practicing in full on Friday and not assigned an injury designation, indicating he will start at left guard once again.

Oruwariye was a surprise addition to the injury report this week after playing every defensive snap in Week 5. He missed Wednesday’s practice but returned to the field in limited form on Thursday and got in a full practice on Friday, which led to a no injury designation. He will start.