11:30am: The Lions have officially placed Fauria on IR and signed Davis, reports Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).
10:47am: It appears that tight end Joseph Fauria‘s ankle injury will force him out of action for the rest of the season, with the Lions preparing to place him on injured reserve, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Fauria himself hinted at that possibility, via Instagram, writing, “It will only make my future success that much sweeter. Trust I’m going to come back the best I’ve ever been.”
Fauria, 24, aggravated a previous ankle injury during Sunday’s win over the Buccaneers, and the fact that the Lions agreed to re-sign tight end Kellen Davis yesterday suggested the prognosis wasn’t good for the sophomore. It looks as if moving Fauria to IR will accommodate the official signing of Davis.
Fauria had to compete for playing time and targets with fellow tight ends Eric Ebron and Brandon Pettigrew this season, and caught just six balls for 74 yards and a touchdown in the handful of games in which he played. During his two NFL seasons, Fauria has displayed a knack for finding the end zone, scoring eight TDs on only 24 overall receptions.
The Lions have Fauria under contract through the 2015 season, so he figures to return to the club next year, hopefully with a clean bill of health.