Detroit Lions' Frank Ragnow, Brian Branch return; Derrick Barnes likely out for season
The bye week did Frank Ragnow's body good.
Ragnow returned to practice Monday after a one-game absence due to a partially torn pectoral muscle and Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell said both Ragnow and safety Brian Branch are trending towards playing Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
Ragnow missed the Lions' Week 4 win over the Seattle Seahawks after playing through his injury in a Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Branch suffered a brain injury against the Cardinals, was cleared to play against the Seahawks then ruled out the day of the game with an illness Campbell insisted was not related to his brain injury.
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"They were both out there practicing today," Campbell said. "So as of right now they look good."
The Lions (3-1) held a light practice Monday in their first day back from the bye and are in better shape health-wise than the Cowboys.
Dallas (3-2) played Sunday night without defensive ends Micah Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence and lost top backup Marshawn Kneeland to a knee injury. Lawrence is on injured reserve and will miss this week's game against the Lions, while Parsons' status is unknown because of a high ankle sprain.
Campbell said the Lions could be without starting linebacker Derrick Barnes for the rest of the season because of the knee injury he suffered against the Cardinals.
The Lions placed Barnes on injured reserve Sept. 24. Campbell said at the time Barnes would miss a "significant" period of time following knee surgery, but that further testing was needed to determine the extent of the injury.
Asked if he had any clarification Monday, Campbell said, "I think we will be fortunate to get him at any point this year. I don’t want to say it’s not going to happen, but I think we would be pretty fortunate if it does."
The Lions signed linebackers Cam Gill and Al-Quadin Muhammad to the practice squad Monday and released safety Erick Hallett and kicker Matthew McCrane from the practice squad.
Dave Birkett will sign copies of his new book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline" at 7 p.m. Saturday at J. Gilligan's Bar & Grill in Arlington, Texas. Order your copy here.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions' Frank Ragnow, Brian Branch return to practice
