For the second year in a row, Marvin Jones will end the season on injured reserve.
The Lions shut him down on Tuesday due to an ankle injury he suffered late in Sunday's loss to the Vikings. Despite the injury, Jones managed to finish out the game, which made a strong impression on Matt Patricia.
"Marvin is a really tough guy. We were making our drive there at the end of the game, his foot kind of got stuck in the ground. It was a pretty tough look for him. He actually got up and got back in the stance because he knew how important it was for us to get lined up and to not have an injury in that situation," Patricia said. "To his credit, he is a tough guy and he did everything he could."
The injury cuts short what's been a strong season for Jones, who had 62 catches for 779 yards and was tied for second in the NFL with nine touchdowns. Fellow Lions receiver Kenny Golladay leads the league with 10.
Jones, 29, has one year remaining on the five-year, $40 million deal he signed with Detroit in 2016. He missed the final seven games of last season with a knee injury, and was mentioned in trade rumors in the offseason. There's a thought he could be on the market again.
That said, Patricia had nothing but good things to say about Jones' progress this season.
"He's a great part of our team and someone that's really had a great year. He's worked really hard, he's been consistent all year. I think he's improved this year drastically," Patricia said. "He and I talk about it a lot, about him just being the same every single day in the building, every single day trying to get better. He's got great energy about him, and certainly was just really going in a great direction."
Rookie Travis Fulgham, who's spent the bulk of this season on the practice squad, could see some action in Jones' absence. The sixth-round pick showed flashes in training camp and the preseason.
To fill Jones' spot on the roster, the Lions signed defensive tackle Frank Herron to the active roster from the Dolphins' practice squad. Herron, signed as an undrafted free agent by the Patriots in 2018, has also had stops with the Titans, Seahawks.
This is his second stint with Detroit.
