ALLEN PARK — Detroit Lions edge rusher Josh Paschal was circled for a return to practice in early September after dealing with an unspecified injury this offseason.
However, coach Dan Campbell said on Thursday that it may be a while longer before the the Lions get their 2022 second-round draft pick back out at practice.
“Paschal could be a little later than we had hoped,” Campbell said.
Campbell shared the news after being asked by reporters about the decision he would have to make at final roster cuts next week about whether to activate Paschal from the Non-Football Injury list.
However if Paschal isn’t ready to return, he can remain on the list — and would need to stay for at least the first four weeks of the regular season — and the Lions can keep one of the edge rushers on the periphery of the 53-man roster, like Nate Lynn, Isaac Ukwu, or Mitchell Agude.
“That can sting a little bit but that also cleans it up, too,” Campbell said of the decision “At least you’re not hoping or waiting or anything else.”
While Paschal’s injury hasn’t been made public, Campbell said earlier in training camp that the former Kentucky edge had a clean-out surgery that pushed his timeline back.
Last season, Paschal played in a career-high 14 games, accumulating 21 total tackles and two sacks.
Despite the return of Aidan Hutchinson to the Lions’ stable of edge rushers, injuries have plagued the room this offseason as Levi Onwuzurike suffered a season-ending ACL injury and rookie Ahmed Hassanein’s availability is up in the air after a pectoral injury suffered in last week’s preseason game.
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