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Eric WoodyardESPN
DETROIT, Mich. – Detroit Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah has broken his left Achilles tendon and is out of season.
Okudah limped off the field of play slowly before being loaded into the locker room, with the Lions crawling to the San Francisco 49ers early in the fourth quarter at Ford Field on Sunday.
The 2020 No. 3 general team was ruled out of the action with a foot injury, but an MRI on Monday confirmed its severity.
Okudah arrived on Twitter Monday morning.
My faith in God’s plan is unshakable … The Marathon continues. 🙏🏾
– Jeff Okudah (@jeffokudah) September 13, 2021
Lions coach Dan Campbell said he sent text messages to Okudah after Sunday’s 41-33 defeat, and plans to meet with him Monday.
As a former player who dealt with injuries, Campbell may relate to the agony of the rehab process, but will encourage him not to bother with it. Your message will be simple: be prepared for next season.
“What are you going to do to prepare for next year? That will be my whole conversation with him: your only focus should be in 2022 and ‘How can I get back from this?’ “Campbell said.” We will do this surgery and everything will have to be rehabilitated again because there is no other way to treat it. There is no other way to react to this. That will be the only way to improve. “
Okudah was credited with four attacks and one defensive pass, but was seen on the sidelines getting the attention of defensive coach Aubrey Pleasant, who challenged him to play better in the first game of his second season.
“I would say for Jeff, it was a game of ups and downs,” Campbell said Sunday. “Blinking at some plays, you’re like, ‘Wow. Okay, here it is. “And the next thing you know is that something is happening: I don’t want to make excuses, but at the same time it’s in year 2. He made some young mistakes.”
The injury is a severe blow to Detroit High School as Okudah came out of a strong training camp. During the low season, he reinvented himself and developed a close bond with Pleasant and the new regime, which sought to get the best out of him.
Okudah’s rookie season was also cut short, as he appeared in nine games (from six) before undergoing groin surgery.
“I’ve experienced a lot of adverse things, and something about me is that I don’t really regret anything because it has taken me to where I am right now,” Okudah told ESPN last week. “So I was very grateful that every time I fell I was able to get up again.”
For Detroit, it is now an upcoming occupation situation. There are many chances that rookie Ifeatu Melifonwu will take over, but Bobby Price and Jerry Jacobs will also fight for representatives.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes also wants to add someone else soon to help the high school, not only for purposes within the game, but also for practice preparation and overall depth.
“The guys who are still here are the ones we like and the only way they will improve is if they play,” Campbell said.
Okudah was not the only Lions player to suffer an injury Sunday. Campbell said great receiver Tyrell Williams has entered the NFL concussion protocol after receiving a strong blow in the second half. His status for Week 2 in Green Bay is still unclear.