The Detroit Lions announced Friday afternoon that veteran defensive lineman Pat O’Connor has been placed on injured reserve.
The news comes after O’Connor missed last week’s game against the Washington Commanders with a knee injury. He seemed to be making progress after practicing on Wednesday of this week. However, he was absent from practices on Thursday and Friday, suggesting a setback.
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O’Connor’s role in the Lions defense had declined in recent weeks. As someone who could play both inside and outside of the defensive line, O’Connor has been valuable depth. But Detroit has leaned more on Tyler Lacy on the edge and a combination of Alim McNeill, Tyleik Williams, Roy Lopez and DJ Reader on the interior. Before his injury, O’Connor had averaged just 7.5 defensive snaps in his last four games. That being said, he has been a quiet fixture on special teams. He’s had at least 15 special teams snaps in seven Lions games this year, and he’s even received some accolades from the coaching staff for his work on that unit.
With the Lions closing in on Josh Paschal’s return from injured reserve, they should be able to absorb the loss of O’Connor.
Now on IR, O’Connor must miss at least the next four games of the Lions’ season. That makes him eligible to return in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Lions now have an open spot on their 53-man roster. With several players eligible to be active for Sunday night’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, that spot is expected to fill soon. Miles Frazier, Marcus Davenport, DJ Reed and Malcolm Rodriguez are questionable for the game and would require activation on the 53-man roster. However, Rodríguez is the most likely to appear this week.