Earlier in the week, the Detroit Lions officially placed edge defender James Houston and cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson on injured reserve. By rule, both players must miss the next four games, but with both, the expectation is they’ll be out much longer than that. Houston has a reported ankle fracture that could hold him out for at least two months. Gardner-Johnson has a torn pectoral that could cost him the entire season.
That said, Lions coach Dan Campbell noted on Wednesday that it’s entirely possible both players return to play before the 2023 season is done. Gardner-Johnson is scheduled to have surgery, but Campbell noted that the nature of his injury should bode well for his post-op rehab.