HEADLINES

Jerry Jacobs

Lions Place Three Players On PUP, Two On NFI List

July 24th, 2022 at 3:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions are the latest team to announce the list of players who will be sidelined for the start of training camp this week. An announcement on their website confirms three additions to the active/PUP list, and a pair of players who are now on the non-football injury list. 

Included among the former group is edge rusher Romeo Okwara. The 27-year-old was limited to just four games played in 2021, as he suffered a torn Achilles in October. That marked a disappointing start to the three-year extension he signed the previous offseason, and left his training camp availability very much in doubt. When he returns, he will look to return to his 2020 form, in which he totalled a career-high 10 sacks.

Another key defender on the shelf is cornerback Jerry Jacobs. In his rookie season last year, the Arkansas alum started nine of 13 games as Jeff Okudah‘s campaign was limited to a single contest. Jacobs registered a 61% snap share before himself suffering a torn ACL in December. He should be in line for a significant role once again this season.

Second-round rookie Josh Paschal is the final inclusion on the PUP list. He was sidelined during spring workouts, though it is unclear if today’s move is the result of complications recovering from that injury, or of a new one. Head coach Dan Campbell said, “We’re trying to be smart with him,” adding that Paschal has “got a lower extremity injury.” The Kentucky product will feature in the team’s new-look defensive front when he is back on the field, which should be the case soon.

The situation is different, of course, for rookie wideout Jameson Williams. The No. 12 overall pick suffered an ACL tear in the national title game (which is why he is being placed on the NFI list, rather than PUP). General manager Brad Holmes recently spoke about his and the team’s optimism that a full recovery will be made. That likely won’t happen in time for the start of the regular season, but when he does make his debut, the Alabama product will add a dynamic speed element to Detroit’s passing attack.

The other NFI inclusion is linebacker Natrez Patrick, who signed as a free agent after spending the past two seasons with the Rams. He, like any of the other four players, can be activated at any time before the regular season kicks off.

Lions’ Jerry Jacobs Done For Year

December 14th, 2021 at 9:11am CST by Zachary Links

It’s officially official. Lions rookie cornerback Jerry Jacobs has been formally diagnosed with a torn ACL, ending his season after 13 games. The Lions will place Jacobs on the injured reserve list this week as he gets set for knee surgery. 

“You feel awful,” head coach Dan Campbell said (via James Hawkins of The Detroit News). “He’s improved so much, particularly from spring just to where he’s been playing lately. Before he got hurt, he had already been doing some good things.”

“You don’t want any of your guys to get hurt, particularly one of these long-term injuries. The other thing is I hate that it happened now in December. That’s probably a nine-month injury, somewhere in there. The good news is it’s reparable. He’ll work at it, he’ll come back, and he’ll be better than he was. But you hate it for him and for our team.”

Jacobs, an undrafted free agent, managed to start in nine games this season, a touching story in an otherwise trying season for the Lions. He began his unusual path to the pros at Hutchinson Community College before transferring to Arkansas State. Unfortunately, a torn ACL wiped out his 2019 season. He then switched to Arkansas, but mental health issues prompted him to opt out after four games.

This marks yet another challenge for Jacobs, but he has a track record of overcoming whatever life throws at him. For now, he’ll be watching the Lions from home, starting with Sunday’s game against the Cardinals.

Lions’ Jerry Jacobs Suffers ACL Injury

December 13th, 2021 at 12:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

After suffering their 11th loss of the season on Sunday, the Lions have more bad news to deal with. Rookie cornerback Jerry Jacobs announced on Twitter that he has an ACL injury. This appears to be a torn ACL, which would rule Jacobs out for the rest of the year.

Undrafted out of Arkansas, Jacobs was in the midst of an encouraging rookie campaign. In 13 games this year, including nine starts, he had 34 tackles along with seven passes defensed and a forced fumble. In coverage, he had surrendered only one touchdown and a completion percentage of 59% to go along with a passer rating of 90.5.

In his message to the Lions’ fanbase, the 24-year-old said, “Thank you for always showing me love and support even during the hard times. Your spirt and encouragement is what motivated me to go 110% every play… This [injury] is a minor setback to a major comeback. I can’t wait to get back on the field and play for the best fans in the NFL”.

The Lions, who rank 26th in the league against the pass, allowing just under 222 yards per game, will need to rely even more heavily on third-year veteran Amani Oruwariye and use a rotation of other mostly inexperienced defensive backs in their secondary. Detroit hosts Arizona in Week 15.

Lions Sign 13 UDFAs

May 3rd, 2021 at 6:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Brad Holmes just completed his first draft as Lions GM, and the executive has now completed his first crop of undrafted free agent signings. The Lions agreed to terms with 13 UDFAs today, per the team website:

McKinley received a lucrative payday to join the Lions, receiving $100K in guaranteed money, including an $85K guaranteed base salary (per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter). After dealing with injuries through his first three years of college, McKinley had a breakout campaign in 2020, hauling in 42 receptions for 717 yards and three touchdowns. He’ll be joined in Detroit by two of his college teammates, offensive lineman Tommy Kraemer and tight end Brock Wright.

Jacobs is one of the more intriguing signings. The cornerback put himself on the NFL radar following a 2018 campaign where he compiled 31 tackles, 12 passes defended, and four interceptions. However, he missed the majority of the 2019 season with a torn ACL, and he ultimately sat out the entire 2020 campaign.