“I think we will be fortunate to get him at any point this year,” said head coach Dan Campbell on Monday, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I don’t want to say it’s not going to happen, but I think we would be pretty fortunate if it does.”
The Lions have been evaluating Barnes’ knee he sustained the injury in Week 3 to decide if the fourth-year linebacker will require surgery. While no determination has been made, Campbell’s comments indicate that Barnes will need a lengthy recovery period, surgery or not.
2022 sixth-rounder and former Hard Knocks fan favorite Malcolm Rodriguez has taken over Barnes’ spot in Detroit’s defense, recording 10 tackles and a sack across Weeks 3 and 4. Rodriguez will look to further solidify his starting role after the Lions’ Week 5 bye in their upcoming matchup with the Cowboys.
The Lions did get some positive injury updates this week with center Frank Ragnow and safety Brian Branch both returning to practice after one-game absences. Detroit’s bye week gave both players additional time to get healthy: Ragnow from a partially-torn pectoral muscle and Branch from an illness. Those two players are key starters for the Lions, who had to shuffle on both sides of the ball in Week 4.