DETROIT – Alex Anzalone has a chance to return to the Detroit Lions this weekend against the Vikings after missing six games due to injury.
Anzalone broke his forearm during Detroit’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Nov. 17. He had 56 tackles, 40 solo tackles, and one sack in the team’s first nine games.
The star linebacker is expected to be back in the heart of the Lions' defense during a critical Week 18 game against the Minnesota Vikings. The winning team will clinch the NFC North and receive the No. 1 seed in the conference, while the loser settles for a wildcard spot.
On Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, Anzalone spoke about his return from the injury. Here’s everything he said:
Do you feel 100%?
“100%? No.”
What does it take to get there?
“I’ll probably feel 100% in the offseason. Next training camp.”
You don’t need to be 100% to play?
“No one’s 100% at this point, so it’s just, can you be productive and is it safe?”
Did you have this same injury before?
“Yeah, in college. I just didn’t play as early (afterward).”
What went into your decision to play?
“The thought process, kind of? You just think about, for me personally, obviously the doctors and the trainers, they kind of go through what the risks are of waiting a week, waiting two weeks, going through practice, maybe letting it spin next week or the week after that or this week.
“I think that for me, personally, it’s, like, OK say if something did happen, would I be OK not playing in the Super Bowl? So I think that that’s kind of the decision I have to make in my own head, and, ‘Is it worth it? How do I feel going over these next few practices? And go from there.’
“I haven’t practiced in six weeks, so I’m just using my arm and seeing how it goes.”
How much is your voice weighed in this decision?
“It’s a collaborative effort. I think that they do a really good job in the training room, our team doctors. They don’t really try to put us in crazy harm’s way. Obviously, there are risks of playing with injury and coming back, but at the same time they do a really good job of getting you ready and putting you out there prepared.
“When they feel comfortable, I think that part of my voice and how I feel definitely goes into it.”
How hard is self-evaluation without full pads?
“That’s another thing, is I haven’t tackled anyone to the ground. I’ve done some drills and tried to simulated it as much as possible, so it’s just one of those things. It, like, ‘How do you feel?’”
How much would waiting 1 more week help?
“That’s the question. That’s really the question for the doctors: ‘How much more healing is it going to be in the next week or two?’ And the safety of it. That goes into weighing what happens.”
