The Detroit Lions will be without one of their top interior pass rushers for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Defensive lineman John Cominsky is out indefinitely after undergoing thumb surgery Tuesday, though Lions coach Dan Campbell said the team will not place Cominsky on injured reserve for now.
Cominsky injured his right thumb on a goal line series in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win over the Washington Commanders, but finished the game.
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Players on IR must miss a minimum of a four weeks. After visiting the Vikings this week, the Lions host the Seattle Seahawks and visit the New England Patriots before their Week 6 bye.
“Somebody’s got to pick up the slack of his production because he’s got a ton of silent production or stuff that you don’t always see on the stat sheet, but he’s been a force,” Campbell said. “And he’s one of the reasons why we got some of the sacks we got the other day. He’s taking two (blockers) out of there, doing exactly what he’s asked to do. He’s unselfish. And he’s all effort, all the time. He’s been a good fit for us.”
Cominsky has been a key contributor on the Lions’ defensive line, especially in the team’s third-down rush packages.
He has one sack among three tackles and eight quarterback pressures through two games, and Lions defensive line coach Todd Wash said Cominsky created the pressure that allowed Aidan Hutchinson to pick up one of his three sacks against Washington.
“He’s definitely going to be missed,” Wash said. “He’s a tough SOB, so I know he’s going to be back a hell of a lot sooner than we think and he’s going to be missed. But the good part is, we’re starting to develop some good depth across the front, and we’ll hold post until he gets back.”
Campbell said the Lions could use a combination of defensive end Austin Bryant and undrafted rookie defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor in Cominsky’s absence.
Bryant had one tackle in 27 snaps in the Lions’ Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but did not play against Washington. Taylor was inactive for the Lions’ first two games.