The Detroit Lions suffered another injury at their training camp. This time, Quintez Cephus suffered a leg injury. The third-year wideout suffered a broken collarbone that cut his season short last season. He was slowly working his way into being a starting option with the Lions last year before his injury last season. With the acquisition of D.J. Chark and the first-round selection of Jameison Williams, it will an uphill battle for Cephus to earn a starting spot this season barring any injuries to the receivers in front of him. The Lions receiver room saw some major upgrades this offseason and as a result, Cephus has slid further down the depth chart. Suffering an injury that will keep him sidelined through his time of the year to really prove himself to the coaching staff, this may end up being an unjustly unproductive season for Cephus from a statistical standpoint.
Quintez Cephus’s Expected Return
Cephus is not expected to miss a major amount of time due to this injury. The Lions’ coaching staff told the media that he should be able to return before the end of the preseason. With the coaches not treating the injury as something that is too serious, this is a great thing for Cephus and he may be able to leave a great impression on the coaches by the end of the preseason. Cephus is a very reliable target and a great possession receiver. With him coming off of a season that was cut short due to an injury, it scared a lot of Lions fans when he went down at practice. However, it appears that all is well and he will be rejoining the team soon.
What the Detroit Lions Can Expect From Him This Season
Expectations are up in the air on what Cephus’s role will be with the receiving room getting an offseason upgrade. With big names like Chark and Williams joining the team, and Amon-Ra St. Brown having a breakout season last year, it will be hard to get on the field. However, Williams will likely miss a good chunk of this season due to an ACL tear that he suffered against the Georgia Bulldogs in the National Championship. If Cephus is able to bounce back quickly from his own injury and turns heads through the early stages of the season, he could lock in his spot on the field no matter what happens. He has a skill set that is pretty unique in the Lion’s receiving room when compared to his peers. He is an incredible possession receiver with a great set of hands. Many of the other receiving options on the Lions are speedy targets that thrive with the deep ball. Cephus will be joining the team again in the very near future. He should be able to make a full recovery well before the preseason starts and should be well on his way to a normal season after this minor setback.
