It’s not good news for Detroit Lions DE John Cominsky, as reports suggest he’s “out indefinitely.”
On Tuesday, Detroit Lions edge defender John Cominsky suffered an injury that required him to be carted off the field. The Lions didn’t initially offer any specifics on the injury other than it being a knee issue. Unfortunately, the news from reporters doesn’t appear to be good.
According to both Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport, Cominsky tore his MCL and is expected to be out indefinitely. Per Rapoport, Cominsky is set to have surgery and will miss approximately five to six months. Both Schefter and Rapoport suggest that timeline could open up a possible return for Cominsky for a playoff run.
However, it won’t be as simple as that. If the Lions put Cominsky on injured reserve right now, he’d lose the entire season with no recourse to return before the 2025 season. However, if Detroit opts to keep him on the 90-man roster and then places him on injured reserve on the final day of roster cuts, that would make Cominsky eligible to return later in the season after a minimum of four games.
Cominsky has been a big part of the Lions’ defensive line for the past two seasons, playing in 30 games over two years and starting 19. This year—after earning a two-year extension in 2022—he took a paycut to stay with the team. But the Lions added competition to the room with free agent signing Marcus Davenport and Mathieu Betts. Additionally, Levi Onwuzurike has been taking more reps on the outside. As a result, Cominsky had been regularly repping with the third-team defense in training camp.
For now, these injury details are only reports. The Lions haven’t confirmed anything, nor have they made a decision on whether to place Cominsky on injured reserve or not. We’ll likely get some answers during coach Dan Campbell’s press conference on Wednesday.
Cominsky wasn’t the only player injured during Tuesday’s practice. Reserve guard Netane Muti suffered a shoulder injury and did not return to play. At this point, there is no update on his condition.