Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had gotten off to an historical start to his career before an ankle injury popped up earlier this season. St. Brown missed Detroit’s Week 4 outing against the Seattle Seahawks and playing sparingly in their Week 5 loss to the New England Patriots before the team’s bye.
Making his return at 100% against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday afternoon, the former USC standout didn’t even last a full quarter. St. Brown took a hit to the head early in the game and was almost immediately ruled out by the Lions with a concussion.
This has to be seen as a major blow for Detroit as the team looks to collect just its second win of the season. Star running back D’Andre Swift was already inactive after missing the past two games with a shoulder injury.
Related: Updated NFL injury report
Impact of Amon-Ra St. Brown injury
In four games this season, the former fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has registered 27 receptions for 271 yards and three touchdowns. That came after a brilliant rookie season in which the former Trojans star showed that he can be a central piece of the Lions’ rebuild process.
- Amon-Ra St. Brown stats (2021): 90 receptions, 912 yards, 5 TD, 75.6% catch rate
With St. Brown sidelined and D.J. Chark currently on injured reserve, quarterback Jared Goff will have to rely on other options in the passing game.
That includes tight end T.J. Hockenson and wide receiver Kalif Raymond. It’s not an ideal scenario for a team that led the NFL in scoring through four weeks before being shutout by the New England Patriots heading into its bye.
The question now becomes whether St. Brown will be able to pass through the NFL’s new concussion protocol ahead of Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins.