Allen Park — Nearly 20 hours after the team’s last update, the Detroit Lions offered some optimism regarding injured linebacker Jack Campbell Monday afternoon, but were purposely light on details.
“Jack Campbell continues to rest and recover at a local hospital,” the statement read. “Preliminary indications are positive and out of respect for Jack and his family we will not share further information at this time.”
Shortly after that statement was released, Lions coach Dan Campbell met with the media for his standard Monday press conference, where he reiterated the key portion of the statement.
“I know that there was a release that was put out, and it's positive,” Dan Campbell said. “Your prayers are working, please continue to do that. We'll leave it at that. Just continue to pray for him, but it is positive news on Jack.”
Respecting the family’s wishes, the coach didn’t provide any additional information on the player’s condition after the linebacker was carted off the field early in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Campbell’s body went limp while making a tackle on Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson. He was tended to by medical staff for several minutes while players from both teams took a knee.
Campbell was eventually turned on to his back, had his jersey, shoulder pads and helmet removed, and was immobilized on a backboard with a neck brace before being taken to a local hospital for testing and observation for a neck injury. He currently remains at that hospital for continued evaluation.
Dan Campbell said he, as well as a number of players, went to the hospital after the game. Not everyone was able to see their teammate, because he was still undergoing tests, but the coach had an opportunity to meet with the family, including Jack Campbell’s parents and wife.
“I got to go see him last night,” Dan Campbell said. “It was good, it was positive. Got to see his parents, talk to his wife, and everybody’s in good spirits. It’s about the recovery. …They’re very positive, so that’s good in that regard.”
Now the Lions must navigate the difficult balance of worrying about their teammate and continuing forward with the season. There’s nothing easy about that, but there’s a game to be played Sunday, in Miami, against the Dolphins.
The first point is determining how to replace Jack Campbell on the field. The All-Pro plays every down, is a captain, and is also responsible for sideline communication, wearing the green dot helmet with a radio that permits him to get play calls directly from coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and relay them to his teammates.
It will be the first time the linebacker has missed a game in his four-year career.
Paired with a season-ending hamstring injury suffered by rookie Jimmy Rolder on the same play, the Lions acknowledge they may need to look for outside help to replenish the depth chart.
“Luckily, we have some depth in there, with (Malcolm Rodriguez) Rodrigo, (Trevor) Nowaske, and Barnes, those three guys. And Amen (Ogbongbemiga)’s been up for us, which is good,” Dan Campbell said. “Then we’ve got (Joe) Bachie ready to roll.
“We may need a little bit of help,” Campbell continued. “We’re looking at everything. We’ll adjust as we go, Brad (Holmes) and I will get together here this afternoon, tomorrow, and figure some of this out.”
As for who would take over the green dot, Dan Campbell said the team is still working through figure some of those details out. Barnes handled it after Jack Campbell left Sunday’s game, but Rodriguez and Nowaske are also candidates going forward.
“I feel pretty comfortable with all of them,” Dan Campbell said.
I for one appreciate the questions you asked in the presser. We didn't need an 18th question asking what Jack means to the team, or what it's like when this happens. Like one guy said on twitter, it's not a eulogy it's a football press conference. I was actually disgusted when late in the presser after there finally being a football question, some reporter asked yet another "how does it feel when" question that's already been answered 87 times. Honestly felt like at that point it was just virtue signaling.
Folks, and I mean this with all due respect, we really are not entitled to the specifics each of us may want desperately to know. Who’s going to wear the green dot on Sunday is another matter, but let’s give Jack, his family and the organization a little space right now about what’s going on in a hospital.