‘You Can’t Pout Them Back to Health,’ says Brad Holmes on the Lions’ injuries.
The Detroit Lions dealt with numerous amounts of injuries throughout the 2024 season.
Unforunately, cornerback Amik Robertson was helped off the field with a broken arm in the Lions’ upset loss to the Washington Commanders.
It was the latest and final blow in a season filled with them, as players such as Marcus Davenport, Derrick Barnes, Aidan Hutchinson, Malcolm Rodriguez and Alim McNeill all suffered season-ending injuries throughout the year.
These injuries, paired with Alex Anzalone suffering a forearm injury that sidelined him for the majority of the second-half of the season, left Detroit’s defense tested for depth.
General manager Brad Holmes spoke to reporters about the challenges of maintaining depth on a roster and if he ever felt it was like watching a Jenga tower eventually fall over.
“It’s the names on the depth chart when we’re not playing football. It’s gonna change, unfortunately,” said Holmes. “I’ve told you guys, we’re looking at this thing, what it’s gonna look like in November and December, and that’s why me and Dan are so concentrated on depth, depth, depth. Sometimes, it’s like, ‘Why didn’t you sign the most expensive free agent?’ We’re trying to procure depth because this kind of stuff happens.”
Detroit’s popular general manger indicated he has prepared better to deal with injuries, but the sheer number this last season was bizarre.
“We kind of stuck true to that, but because I’ve always thought about that, when the injuries happen, I guess I’m mentally prepared for them a lot better. Now, you don’t know to what extent it is. Really, from a negative emotion standpoint, I just feel bad for the players, really,” Holmes said. “I feel like the players put so much into it, and a lot of times its bad luck. When you look at some of these injuries and how they happen, there were some that were just bizarre. I hate it for the players, because they put way too much into it to get the rash of bad luck.”
Holmes was forced to sign multiple players off of other team’s practice squads. While the challenge was significant, Detroit’s personnel department found players to help vill the void left by numerous defensive injuries.
Following the season-ending injury to Rodriguez, which left the Lions thin at linebacker with Barnes and Anzalone both also sidelined at the time, Detroit was forced to add Kwon Alexander. On that same weekend, Holmes also plucked Jonah Williams and Myles Adams off of opposing practice squads.
The Lions’ personnel staff was tested, as they were forced to make a plethora of external additions. To their credit, many of the veteran players acclimated well and were able to contribute to Detroit, particularly on defense.
