Jack Campbell's family viewing his injury as "small setback"

The update is "positive," Dan Campbell said Monday afternoon. "So your prayers are working. Please continue to do that."

Jack Campbell was carted off the field strapped to a backboard after lying facedown and motionless on the turf for several minutes after making a seemingly routine tackle in the Lions' win over the Vikings on Sunday. He was transported to a local hospital with a neck injury, where he continues "to rest and recover," per the Lions.

As of Monday afternoon, "preliminary indications are positive," the Lions said in an official statement . "Out of respect for Jack and his family we will not share further information at this time."

Dan Campbell spoke with the media shortly thereafter and said that he visited the star linebacker in the hospital Sunday night, where he also spoke with Jack Campbell's family. Jack Campbell and his wife welcomed their first child, a boy, in July.

Dan Campbell said that family is looking at the injury as "a small setback."

"I got to go see him last night. It was good, it was positive. I got to see his parents, talked to his wife, and everybody’s in good spirits. It’s about the recovery and ‘it’s a small setback.' That’s the family, they’re very positive. So that’s good, in that regard," said Dan Campbell.

Campbell said that a lot of Jack Campbell's teammates also went to the hospital, though not everybody got to see him: "He was running some tests, things of that nature, so at some point it gets hard to have everybody in there."

Asked what Jack Campbell means to the Lions, Dan Campbell replied, "I don’t even know if I can put it into words."

"You get voted captain, that says a ton, especially with this group of guys that’s been assembled. He earned every bit of that. He’s trustworthy, he’s dependable, he’d give you the shirt off his back. He’s just all heart, man, all effort. And just an unbelievable person. Down to earth, very genuine. There’s not a man on this team that doesn’t respect Jack Campbell and care about him," Campbell said.

Dan Campbell also went out of his way to acknowledge the Vikings and head coach Kevin O'Connell, whose concern for Jack Campbell after the game meant a lot to the Lions head coach.

"You go through these games in this league and the competition of it, and you’re going against an opponent like we were with the Vikings, and Kevin O’Connell, man, he's a class act. Just looking out for Jack, checking in on Jack, I know those guys said a prayer for Jack, and that just says a lot about the humanity of it, man.

"We are highly competitive, this league is highly competitive, but it is a brotherhood. It just puts things into perspective. These are human beings, man, that have families, real lives. Just a classy deal, man."

The Lions played hard in Jack Campbell's absence, rallying from a 15-12 fourth quarter deficit to take down the previously undefeated Vikings. As for how they proceed at linebacker from here, Dan Campbell said they'll continue to lean on Malcolm Rodriguez and Trevor Nowaske next to Derrick Barnes, who handled the green-dot responsibilities Sunday after Jack Campbell's departure.

Dan Campbell also announced that rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder suffered a season-ending injury against the Vikings.