Three Key Detroit Lions Miss Thursday Practice, Two Depart Injured

The Detroit Lions returned to the practice field on a humid Thursday morning.

Three key players were not spotted at practice, including linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez, running back Isiah Pacheco and cornerback D.J. Reed.

Rodriguez did not conclude practice on Tuesday after injuring his ankle.

Also, veteran offensive lineman Juice Scruggs and backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater were not spotted participating at practice.

Cornerback De'Shawn Rucker (ankle) and defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo (groin) both left practice early to be evaluated for injuries, according to the team.

Gibbs returns

A positive development occurred when running back Gibbs returned to training camp practice for the first time.

It marked the first time he's participated in practice since training camp began. This seemingly ends his hold-in, as he had been not participating in practice while awaiting a new contract.

Gibbs participated in stretching and walkthrough, then moved to the side of the field to work out with trainers. This was for traditional acclimation work, as the running back had not participated in any of the team's previous six practices. He did not participate in individual or team periods.

This is a big development for the Lions, who have been without Gibbs on the practice field since the start of camp.

Multiple reports have surfaced indicating the former first-round pick and the team are very close to closing on a three-year contract extension.

Gibbs is the most notable running back still awaiting as an extension, as the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts got their deals done with Bijan Robinson and Jonathan Taylor, respectively.

The two contracts are near the top of the running back market, with Robinson setting a new high for running back payment at up to $75 million over three years. Robinson's deal comes with a base salary average of $22.25 million. With the new deals, a deal could be in short order.

Gibbs also had a minor back issue flare up during the team's pre-training camp conditioning test, according to head coach Dan Campbell. Earlier this week, the head coach said he was anxious to get the Alabama product back onto the field.

There's no question about Gibbs' status or importance to the Lions' offense. On the heels of back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards, the organization committed to him as their top option out of the backfield by trading veteran David Montgomery to the Houston Texans.

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