ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions welcomed Alim McNeill back to the practice field, starting the 21-day evaluation period before he comes back to play after having a season-ending knee injury last season.
“He's ready to go,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said on Wednesday. “I'm sorry for some of those guys that are going to have to line up across from him.”
McNeill, a defensive tackle, tore his right ACL in a Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills last season. He was tied for the team lead with seven tackles for losses when he was injured last season and had seven quarterback hits.
The NFC North-leading Lions (3-1) play at Cincinnati (2-2) at Sunday.
Nearly a year ago, the Lions showed how much they value him with a four-year contract extension worth $97 million with $55 million guaranteed. The 6-foot-2, 310-pound McNeill signed his deal in the same year that the franchise gave quarterback Jared Goff, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive tackle Penei Sewell contract extensions.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes drafted McNeill in the third round — No. 72 overall — in 2021 out of North Carolina State.
After starting in six games and playing in 17 as a rookie, McNeill started 44 straight games over the following three seasons. McNeill had five sacks in 2023, the most by an interior defensive lineman for the Lions since Ndamukong Suh had 8 1/2 sacks in 2014.