Za'Darius Smith to Practice Friday, Taylor Decker Will Sit Out

Could Lions be without Taylor Decker on Sunday?

Cleveland Browns defensive end Za'Darius Smith (99). / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

A key member of the Detroit Lions' offensive line was added to the injury report on Thursday, and as a result his status for the team's Week 10 game against the Houston Texans is in question.

Starting left tackle Taylor Decker was added to the report as a limited participant in Thursday's practice with a shoulder injury. Coach Dan Campbell said Decker is not expected to practice on Friday, and that his recovery over the next two days will be important to deciding his game status.

“Yeah. I don’t see him practicing today. It’s really about how he heals up," Campbell explained. "I don’t feel like this is something major, but we need to see how he feels over the next 48 hours.” 

If Decker is unable to go, a potential strategy for the Lions could be to start Penei Sewell at left tackle and insert Dan Skipper into the lineup as the right tackle.

Other players dealing with injuries include Malcolm Rodriguez and Jalen Reeves-Maybin, both of whom have been listed as non-participants both Wednesday and Thursday.

Detroit will welcome a new face on Friday, as newly acquired defensive end Za'Darius Smith will practice for the first time since being traded on Tuesday. Campbell allowed Smith two days off to recouparate, as his previous team was beginning its bye week when the deal was made.

Smith's game availability is still to be determined, as the Lions plan to assess whether or not to use him in the days leading up to Sunday's game against the Texans.

"He is. We'll have him out there, we'll get him moving around a little bit," Campbell said. "We're prepared to see what we can do and where we can go with it."