What's Up with All the Detroit Lions Injuries?

Latest "Lone Wolves" podcast features former NFL strength and conditioning coach Ted Rath

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) rushes against Buffalo Bills at Ford Field / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions are working through a myriad of injuries, and are reshuffling the roster in order to field the best team possible for the remainder of the regular season and postseason.

Former NFL strength and conditioning coach Ted Rath previously worked with the Lions, and shared with Lions OnSI his thoughts on the defense suffering so many injuries this year.

"It's interesting that it is on one side of the football, John. And, we've talked about this. But, the thing you have to keep in mind, there is a plethora of levels and context that goes into each injury," said Rath. "So, I think when you do look at it, everything plays a role. Eventually, when I got to the level where I was a Vice President overseeing everything with performance -- that includes everything like team travel, how you're mitigating travel fatigue, how you're traveling coast to coast, how you're fueling your players from a nutritional and a hydration standpoint, how much stress you're placing on the players.

"Because John, if you're stressing them, you're over stressing them from a psychological standpoint. So, from meetings, you understand it with your psychology background, that psychological stress is going to increase cortisol levels. Your body becomes less restrictive, and it will not be able to prevent injuries as well when your cortisol levels spike."

More: Detroit Lions Place Three Players on Injured Reserve, Announce Practice Squad Moves

The latest "Lone Wolves" podcast episode explores, from a strength and conditioning perspective, the rash of injuries that have hit the Lions this season, and discusses artificial turf versus natural grass surfaces, the increase in MCL injuries lately and the outlook for Detroit the remainder of the 2024 season.

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