ANN ARBOR, Mich. – This week, the Detroit Lions opened training camp in Allen Park, and three days later, things appear to be going quite well, thanks to one critical MRI that could have turned this joyous occasion into a “why me” moment.
CJ Gardner-Johnson, whom the Lions signed as a free agent, was nearly the victim of a soul-crushing knee injury that might have sent the city of Detroit into a massive depression.
After all, it’s obvious this city has waited forever for the Lions to be relevant in the NFL, and now their moment was here. All they have to do is stay healthy, and good things will happen. So, on Monday, at their second practice, Gardner-Johnson goes down with a non-contact injury to his right knee. He was on the ground for five minutes and then was carted off. The MRI would tell the fate of the player and the team.
However, in the past, when a Lion got hurt in training camp, it usually meant he was gone for the season. If it wasn’t for bad luck, the Lions of the past would have had no luck at all. But a few hours later, the MRI spoke volumes: no structural damage to the knee.
CJ Gardner-Johnson is listed as day-to-day. He’ll be back soon, and the Lions passed their first test as the owners of good luck instead of what they had in the past. Please, no foul language; kids might read this.