Ifeatu Melifonwu will miss Detroit’s Week 3 trip to play the Arizona Cardinals. The Lions safety continues to deal with an ankle injury that has kept him from practicing almost entirely since the second preseason game over a month ago.
Other than being a limited participant in a practice session leading into Week 1, Melifonwu has been completely out of sight in the portions of practice open the the media. It’s been a frustrating development for a player who stepped up and played great in an increased role late in the 2023 season.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell was asked if Melifonwu was a candidate for injured reserve.
“Yeah, Brad (Holmes) and I have talked about that,” Campbell stated. “He’s progressing, he really is. He’s progressing. I would say no. Now, that can change depending on if something happens here with everything else, the rest of the roster. But, right now, I don’t feel that way and he is getting better.”
Melifonwu has a lengthy injury history during his four seasons with the Lions. Counting the first two weeks of 2024, the 2021 third-round pick has missed 20 games due to various ailments. With a bye coming up after the Week 4 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, that could be enough rest and rehabilitation time to get Melifonwu back into the lineup as the third safety in the Lions rotation behind starters Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph.