Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone has reported to training camp and passed the team's conditioning test, but won't participate in the first practice of camp on Sunday.
But Dan Campbell dismissed the idea that Anzalone is waiting to practice until he gets a new contract: "He’s here, reported, did great on the conditioning test, weight’s good and ready to go."
Asked if it's a hold-in situation where Anzalone is present but not willing to practice without a new deal, Campbell said, "No way, right? I refuse to believe that. I refuse to believe that."
Anzalone, who's entering the final season of his three-year, $18.75 million deal, has been angling for a raise for most of the offseason, mostly through social media. He skipped the Lions' optional team activities in the spring, though as Campbell pointed out, "He wasn’t here last year, either, in the spring," preferring to train at home in Florida.
Anzalone ranks outside the 30 highest-paid players at his position and watched his close friend and fellow linebacker Derrick Barnes get a three-year, $24 million deal with the Lions in March. Asked if there are lingering contract issues that the Lions need to settle with Anzalone, Campbell said, "Not that I can really talk about."
Elsewhere on the veteran front, offensive tackle Taylor Decker won't start practicing until August after he had a minor procedure on his shoulder.
"We feel like there’s a good chance we can get him back after the Hall of Fame game (on July 31)," Campbell said. "Cleaned the shoulder out, he’s in a good place."
And the Lions expect defensive lineman Josh Paschal, who was placed on the active/non-football injury list this week, to be out "a tick longer" than Decker, Campbell said. The Lions plan to "start working him into practice" in early September.
Defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike, meanwhile, is out for the season with a knee injury.