Lions Corner Jeff Okudah Done for Season with Torn Achilles

Jeff Okudah with Ohio State in 2019
Jeff Okudah with Ohio State in 2019. Photo by Charles Baus/CSM/Shutterstock (10514187cw)

The Detroit Lions received some devastating news on Monday. Their corner Jeff Okudah, whom they took No. 3 in 2020, suffered a torn Achilles and is out for the remainder of the season.

Okudah got hurt in the fourth quarter of the 41-33 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. He limped off the field after one play and was seen being carted off to the locker room shortly after.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell confirmed the news about Okudah’s injury during a press conference on Monday. He said he intends to speak with the player soon and wants to encourage him to bounce back next season.

“What are you going to do to prepare yourself for next year? That’s going to be my whole conversation with him is that your sole focus has got to be on 2022 and ‘How do I get back from this?'”, said Campbell, who himself had to deal with severe injuries as a player, at the presser.

With Okudah out, the Lions are expected to turn to Ifeatu Melifonwu, their third-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. There is also a chance that second-year player Bobby Price gets an opportunity to show what he can do as a pro.

After learning the nature of his injury, Okudah reacted on Twitter with a short post.

Having to miss the 2021 season is a tough blow for Jeff Okudah, especially since his rookie campaign was marred by inconsistency and injuries. Okudah was looking to have a breakthrough campaign this year after showing promise in the preseason, but it looks like he’ll now have to wait for that until 2022.

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