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

Calvin Johnson was dealing with an ankle injury heading into Thanksgiving, but the Detroit Lions did not list him as inactive against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The five-time Pro Bowler has been slowing down a bit in recent years, but the first real signs of a downward trajectory have emerged this year. His yards per reception (14.0) so far represent a career low, while he'll likely finish with fewer than 90 receiving yards a game for the second straight season.

Part of that is due to quarterback Matthew Stafford, who seems to have gotten worse with each passing season after his 5,000-yard 2011 campaign. But Johnson is 30 years old, not to mention he has dealt with minor injury issues for the last three seasons now.

He missed two games in 2013 and then three in 2014. Before this most recent ailment, he suffered an ankle injury back in early November as well.

Johnson is still an elite wide receiver, but gone are the days when he could almost single-handedly carry the Lions offense.

Should he miss time against the Eagles, Detroit would rely more heavily on Golden Tate in the passing game, while Stafford could look to Eric Ebron and Theo Riddick as well. Stafford's job will certainly be a lot harder without his top target.

Since the team is already out of the playoff picture, Johnson's return won't have a significant impact on where the Lions go this year.