Calvin Johnson Injury: Updates on Lions Star's Ankle and Return

Updates from Sunday, Oct. 5

Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com confirms Calvin Johnson is active today:

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network previously reported a synopsis of Johnson discussing his status for today's game with his teammates:

Updates from Friday, Oct. 3

The Lions injury report lists Johnson as questionable.

Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has the latest on Johnson:

ESPN's Michael Rothstein has an ominous update regarding Calvin Johnson's injury, courtesy of head coach Jim Caldwell:

Kyle Meinke of MLive.com has more from Caldwell:

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"That possibility always exists," Caldwell said. "It just kind of depends on how one progresses during the course of a week. There are some times when they move forward enough where you feel they won't have any significant setbacks, and other times you don't feel that way. We'll wait until the end of the week and act accordingly."

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However, Meinke reports that the talented wideout is practicing on Friday:

Updates from Wednesday, Oct. 1

Tim Twentyman of the Detroit Lions passed along comments from Calvin Johnson on his injured ankle and his status for practice on Wednesday:

Updates from Sunday, Sept. 28

The Lions announced Calvin Johnson's status for Week 4:

ESPN's Adam Schefter previously reported the pre-game expectation for Johnson:

Following the game, Johnson spoke about his injured ankle, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press:

Updates from Friday, Sept. 26

Tim Twentyman of the Detroit Lions updated Calvin Johnson's status from Friday's practice:

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Calvin Johnson was back on the practice field for the Detroit Lions Friday morning, but the team is still listing him as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Jets in New York.

Johnson injured an ankle in last week’s 19-7 win over Green Bay and sat out practice Wednesday and Thursday. The fact that he was able to practice in a limited fashion on Friday is a good sign he’s trending toward playing on Sunday.

“It was good to see him moving around a little bit,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said after practice Friday.

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Updates from Thursday, Sept. 25

Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has the latest on Johnson's status:

Original Text

Detroit Lions superstar wide receiver Calvin Johnson has picked up an ankle injury, raising a major concern surrounding the team's offense.  

Tim Twentyman of the Detroit Lions provided the latest details on Megatron's status:

Johnson, 28, has been considered the top wide receiver in the NFL for the past few seasons thanks to his overall ability, massive size and incredible production. The three-time first-team All-Pro came into the year with an average of 88 receiving yards per game, which ranked as the best in league history.

He also set the record for the most receiving yards in a season with 1,964 in 2012. 

ESPN Insider Field Yates (subscription required) explained in July that Johnson was the top matchup nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators:

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The most physically dominant offensive player regardless of position, Johnson is an impossible cover and was the most popular response among coaches and scouts consulted. He's built like a tight end at 6-foot-5 and nearly 240 pounds but maintains the track speed he came into the league with. He can stretch the field vertically, win with his route-running skills on the intermediate level and terrorize defenses as a run-after-catch threat on wide receiver screens.

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Megatron's presence on the field also opened things up for other players and was a big reason the Lions can be so dynamic offensively.

If this injury turns out to be serious, however, Detroit could be in bad shape going forward. Golden Tate and others have shown the ability to make plays in the passing game, but it will be tougher with added attention.

It is not surprising the Lions lost both of their games without Johnson during the 2013 season.

The squad will hope that the star receiver will be able to go in Week 4. Otherwise, it will put a lot of pressure on Matthew Stafford and the rest of the offense as it looks to keep up in the competitive NFC North.

Fortunately Detroit has a strong running game to lean on, but it will need other players to step up in the passing game in Johnson's absence.

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