James Houston hasn’t been active for a Detroit Lions game since Week 2. In the loss to the Seahawks back in September, the second-year pass rusher suffered a serious ankle injury.
The Lions activated Houston from the injured reserve prior to the NFC Divisional round game against the Buccaneers, but he was inactive for Sunday’s game. The prolonged absence has many Lions fans crying foul over how the team has handled the 2022 rookie sack phenom.
“I think he’s very close,” Glenn said of Houston. “The thing we want to do is protect that player from himself for the most part.”
Glenn continued,
“I do NOT take injuries lightly. Especially to make sure we listen to the medical department to make sure we bring that player along exactly how he needs to come along.”
Houston was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice, though it was a walkthrough. Given how poorly Romeo Okwara and John Cominsky fared at the EDGE role opposite Aidan Hutchinson in the Buccaneers game, it seems safe to say that if Glenn, the medical staff and the Lions coaches think Houston is capable of playing, he’ll be on the field in San Francisco for the NFC Championship game.