The Detroit Lions
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The Detroit Lions are announcing news on a beloved player who has been sidelined for more than a year following a cancer score.
The Detroit Lions are coming up on a make-or-break game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, November 9, on the road, and they’re focused on bringing their 5-3 record up, so they can get to the top of the NFC tally. For the Lions, the game comes after upset loss to the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field with a 27-24 final score, and Washington is also coming off a loss, 38-14 to the Seattle Seahawks.
So, the Lions are looking ahead and will have to pull out as much grittiness as they have to bring up that record. But, what happens off the field can be more important than what happens in-game, especially when it comes to health.
Each season, NFL players are injured on the field. But, sometimes they develop health problems outside of playing football. Now, the Detroit Lions have announced news on one Detroit Lions player who was out all last season.
News on Beloved Detroit Lions Player
Detroit Lions pass rusher Josh Paschal is coming home to the Lions. On Wednesday, November 5, Paschal’s 21-day practice clock kicked off with his return to practice.
Paschal is back after missing an entire season because of being treated for malignant melanoma found on his shoulder. While the “malignant melanoma” was non-cancerous, it had to be removed, especially since Paschal has a history with cancer scares. Plus, last week, the Lions revealed that Paschal was also coming back from a back injury.
Melanoma is a “kind of skin cancer that starts in the melanocytes,” according to research from the Mayo Clinic. “Melanocytes are cells that make the pigment that gives skin its color.”
In 2018 when Paschal when was a sophomore at the University of Kentucky, he was diagnosed with a mass and had it removed from his foot.
“It was nothing cancerous thankfully, praise God for that, but just had to take care of that,” Paschal said at the time as reported by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I was hoping just to be out for a week, but it wasn’t something that you could really bounce back from in a week so it just took two. I’m thankful to be back now though, and be able to help this team.”
He also thanked the medical staff at Henry Ford Hospital and the Detroit Lions’ doctors at the time. “I just thank the Lord that I was able to have Henry Ford, the hospital and the staff here at the Lions, just taking care of me and making sure I had the best care possible,” he said.
Inside Lions Player’s Medical Journey
In the latest episode of “Inside the Den,” the Detroit Lions shared Paschal’s recovery story. They released the video at the end of October as a part of the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative.
“He couldn’t have had better treatment anywhere else,” he says in a video clip shared by the Detroit Lions on X on Tuesday, November 5. “A look at Josh Paschal’s malignant melanoma treatment, recovery and return to football,” the social post adds.
Paschal won’t be back on the field right away. He’ll do the full 21-day practice window before coming back, and then, they can put him on the 53-man roster, or leave him on the non-football injury and illness tally.