“When Penei went down, I was thinking, ‘Oh no, not Penei,’ because he’s our top offensive lineman,” said Lions safety Brian Branch. “Hopefully, it’s nothing serious. I don’t believe it is, so just sending up prayers.”
Sewell got hurt on the third play after the Lions returned from the locker room following a simulated halftime. He briefly sat on the ground after blocking during a Jared Goff incompletion and was assisted by trainers before limping to the sideline bench.
There, he took off his shoe and sock while trainers looked at his left foot. A few plays later, Sewell managed to walk to the locker room on his own, accompanied by a trainer.
The Lions reported that All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell is undergoing evaluation for a foot injury.
“With someone like Penei, you’re always concerned, but that’s just the reality of this league,” said second-year tackle Colby Sorsdal, who stepped in for Sewell with the starting offense. “Nobody is invulnerable, and despite how much we’d like Penei to be, anything can happen at any time, so when your number is called, you need to be ready.”
At just 23 years old, Sewell has become one of the Lions’ key players, starting 50 out of 51 games over the last three seasons at both tackle positions. He played every offensive snap in the past two years, earned two consecutive Pro Bowl selections, and signed a four-year, $ 112 million contract extension this offseason, making him the highest-paid offensive tackle in the league.
The Lions have been cautious with injuries this preseason, and head coach Dan Campbell mentioned on Tuesday that he expects most starters to be prepared for the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams on September 8.
Several players, including Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring), Sam LaPorta (hamstring), Kevin Zeitler (shoulder), Terrion Arnold (chest), and backup tackle Dan Skipper (ankle) did not practice on Wednesday. Additionally, running back Craig Reynolds left Wednesday’s scrimmage due to a lower-body injury.
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