NFL Rumors: Lions' James Houston 'Out at Least 6-8 Weeks' After Injury vs. Seahawks

Detroit Lions linebacker James Houston is expected to miss at least six to eight weeks after fracturing his ankle in Sunday's 37-31 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell initially told reporters after the game he thought Houston's injury was serious enough to keep him out for an extended stretch.

Rapoport and Pelissero reported the 2022 sixth-round pick is due to undergo further evaluation to determine whether he needs surgery.

Houston had a rapid rise as a rookie. The Lions only promoted him to the active roster ahead of their Week 12 loss to the Buffalo Bills in 2022, but he finished with eight sacks over seven appearances.

His best outing came in the penultimate game of the season, when he got to Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields three times in a win for Detroit.

Lions fans were naturally excited about what Houston could deliver across a full season

The 24-year-old had a muted impact in the team's 21-20 upset of the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. He went without a tackle in his 21 defensive snaps. Then he was on the field for just 19 total snaps Sunday before his ankle injury forced him to exit the contest.

Considering Houston is set to miss potentially two months, an injured reserve designation is all but inevitable.

This represents a bit of a setback for Detroit amid an otherwise encouraging start to the 2023 campaign.