Earlier this offseason, head coach Dan Campbell revealed that veteran Detroit Lions edge rusher Josh Paschal, who is currently on the non-football injury list, would be out until early September.
On Thursday, Campbell provided the latest update on Paschal and it wasn't a good one. The Lions head coach revealed that Paschal will return later than expected, according to Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit.
Reisman adds that Campbell "heavily implied" that Paschal will begin the year on the NFI list, which would mean he has to miss the first four games of the 2025 season.
"Dan Campbell says Josh Paschal may return a little later than expected," Reisman wrote. "Heavily implied he'll start the season on (NFI)."
Paschal's injury hasn't been disclosed, at least as far as we can tell. Nevertheless, this is just the latest blow to a Lions edge rusher group that was already a major concern.
In the preseason Week 2 game against the Miami Dolphins, rookie EDGE Ahmed Hassanein suffered a pectoral injury that Campbell said will keep him out "for a while."
Campbell also didn't rule out Hassanein missing the entire season, although there is hope that won't be the case after the Boise State product noted that his injury didn't require surgery.
If those two are sidelined to begin the season, the Lions' depth behind Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport will be extremely thin, which is especially troublesome with Davenport's checkered past with injuries.
It's more clear than ever that the Lions need to bite the bullet and do what it takes to get Za'Darius Smith back in Detroit before someone else snags him.
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