Amon-Ra St. Brown injury update: Lions WR's status revealed for TNF vs. Cowboys

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is likely to be a game-time decision for the Week 14 Thursday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys, per Eric Woodyard of ESPN. St. Brown sprained his ankle in the Thanksgiving Day loss to the Green Bay Packers.

St. Brown has yet to participate in practice this week. He said Tuesday it’s “up in the air” if he’ll be on the field against the Cowboys.

“It hurts, but it’s getting better. So, that’s the good news. Just day by day,” St. Brown said. “Just trying to make sure I’m out there for my guys.”

Head coach Dan Campbell said last week that while St. Brown avoided a long-term injury, he could be sidelined for one or two games. Campbell provided a new update Tuesday.

“I know this, if he can play, he’ll play,” Campbell said. “That’s the best way to say it.”

St. Brown, 26, injured his left ankle in the first quarter against Green Bay. He was blocking on a run play when offensive linemen Kayode Awosika and Penei Sewell fell into the back of his leg. St. Brown was accompanied into the locker room and did not return.

Amon-Ra St. Brown working way back from ankle injury

St. Brown is Detroit’s leading receiver this season with 75 receptions for 884 yards and nine touchdowns. He was a first-team All-Pro selection in each of the previous two seasons. In his absence, Jameson Williams recorded a season-high 144 yards on seven catches. Rookie Isaac TeSlaa and Tom Kennedy saw more playing time with St. Brown out.

The Lions are already without tight end Sam LaPorta. Should they have to play without St. Brown, it will impact many things they want to do as an offense.

“When you lose a guy like Saint, it’s tough,” Campbell said last week. “There’s so many things that he brings to our offense. Everybody knows the production and the versatility he has, but also all the dirty work he does in the run game. All the little things, man. The nuances of where you line up to where you go, to who you block if it’s this look, to now if they go here you need to slide back to do that.

“I mean, he’s so fricking smart, man, and he’s tough. And so, there’s a million jobs he does, and he does them at a high level that it does, it hurts when you lose him.”