Allen Park — Unable to put a nagging knee injury behind him, Detroit Lions outside linebacker and captain Trey Flowers will miss at least three more games after the team placed him on injured reserve on Saturday.
It’s been a frustrating two-year stretch for Flowers who missed the final nine games last season after breaking his forearm. This year, it’s been been the knee that’s plagued him.
He missed two games early in the season and remained hobbled even after returning to the lineup. After reaggravating the injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers last month, Flowers missed the past two games and had already been ruled out for this Sunday against Minnesota.
In the third season of a five-year, $90 million contract he signed with the Lions as an unrestricted free agent in 2019, Flowers’ time with the franchise could be nearing an end. He’s set to have a $23.2 million cap hit in 2022, while the team could save more than $9 million through his release.
Additionally, there’s a strong possibility the Lions add one of the top edge rushing prospects early in the next draft, whether that’s Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux or Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson.
To immediately fill the open roster spot created by moving Flowers to IR, the Lions signed outside linebacker Rashod Berry off their practice squad.
The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Berry played tight end at Ohio State, but was converted to the defensive side of the ball by the New England Patriots as an undrafted rookie in 2020. He initially signed with the Lions midway through training camp and has spent much of this season on the team’s practice squad.
Detroit also temporarily elevated linebacker Tavante Beckett and defensive lineman Bruce Hector off the practice squad ahead of Sunday’s game with Minnesota.
Hector provides insurance for defensive tackle John Penisini, who was downgraded to questionable after coming down with an illness over the weekend.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers