Allen Park — Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell wants a team that exudes toughness and wide receiver Tyrell Williams demonstrated that by returning to practice one day after dislocating a finger on his left hand.
When the Jared Goff pass hit Williams’ hand on Tuesday, the receiver was convinced his pinkie finger was broken. He went to the locker room where it took the training staff longer than expected to pop it back into place.
“They threw some ice on it and numbed it, so I just kind of moved my head away and tried to get it done,” Williams said. “I don’t know how long it usually takes, but I thought it was broken. I was getting a little irritated there trying to pop it back in because I thought it was broken, but they finally got it after about 20 minutes. It actually felt better before they popped it back in, because when they popped it back in, that’s when it really started to hurt.”
Practicing Wednesday, Williams wore two receiving gloves over the injured finger, which also had some hardened tape, similar to a cast, connecting the pinkie to his ring finger.
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The Lions signed Williams to a one-year deal worth $4 million this offseason, with incentives that could raise the overall value to more than $6 million. He missed the 2020 season with a shoulder injury after being sidelined just two games the previous four seasons.
During that stretch, he averaged 49 catches for 773 yards and five touchdowns. Based on his contract and role on the practice field, the Lions are counting on him to serve as the No. 1 receiver in their new-look offense.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers