A major piece of the Lions' defense could be nearing his return.
Romeo Okwara was back at practice Wednesday for the first time since tearing his Achilles last October.
The Lions now have 21 days to decide whether or not to activate Okwara this season.
His return for would be a boon for a defense that's struggled to rush the passer all season. Okwara racked up 10 sacks, 31 QB pressures and three forced fumbles in 2020 to earn a three-year, $37 million deal from Brad Holmes and the Lions that offseason.
The Lions have 15 sacks as a team this season, tied for fourth last in the NFL, and more than a third of those have come from rookie Aidan Hutchinson.
Who knows if or when Okwara will recapture his prior form. He's coming off arguably the most devastating injury in football, and his recovery has taken longer than expected.
Jeff Okudah tore his Achilles about a month before Okwara last season and was back on the practice field by the start of training camp about three and a half months ago.
Still, the fact that Okwara has progressed to the point of practicing is a great sign for his ultimate recovery -- and a potential boost for Detroit's NFL-worst defense.
The Lions also returned receiver DJ Chark to practice on Wednesday. He hasn't played since Week 3 due to an ankle injury and was placed on injured reserve in Week 7.
“We’re going to let him run around today," Dan Campbell said prior to practice. "We’ll start his clock and just let him do some individual work today and see how he feels.”
Chark, a Pro Bowler in 2019 who signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Lions in the offseason, had seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown through three games with his new team.
Listen live to 97.1 The Ticket via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker