Alex Anzalone likely to miss remainder of season with broken arm
DETROIT, MI - NOVEMBER 17: Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) is pushed out of bounds by Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch (32) and Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone (34) after a short gain during the Detroit Lions versus t
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Everything went right for the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon, except for a single play with about 2:30 seconds to go before the half.
Linebacker Alex Anzalone was attempting to tackle Travis Etienne when he collided with Lions teammate Brian Branch and went down clutching his arm. Anzalone didn't return to the 52-6 blowout victory.
"Thank you everyone for the well wishes! As an athlete, a lot of times you think ‘Why did this have to happen?’ But I like to think about all the countless reps something bad didn’t happen. I’m beyond blessed! I’ll be back in no time, fresh legs and all," Anzalone tweeted after the game.
After the game, coach Dan Campbell said it was likely a broken arm and he was expecting him to miss six to eight weeks. There are just seven weeks left in the regular season, making a return for the playoffs a likely goal for Anzalone.
"Yeah, look, he’s probably gonna be down for a while. It doesn’t look good," Campbell said. "I think it looks like he broke that bone down there in the forearm. So, we’re gonna lose him for a bit. But, he’ll bounce back, man. He does. If anything, that’ll put he and Hutch together, and they can get their ass back together. So, that’s hard."
The Lions, 9-1, continue to thrive on defense, despite the injuries piling up. They lost Aidan Hutchinson in week 5 to a season-ending broken leg, and have had Marcus Davenport and Derrick Barnes also go down for the season. They also recently placed linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin on injured reserve, making him unavailable for several weeks.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - NOVEMBER 17: Alex Anzalone #34 of the Detroit Lions is helped off the field after being injured during a play in the second quarter of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Ford Field on November 17, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan