Isaac Ukwu back on the field for the Lions after leaving in the 1st quarter. #DETvsKC
— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) August 17, 2024
UPDATE: Good news for the Detroit Lions, as undrafted free-agent defensive end Isaac Ukwu has returned to the game after exiting in the first quarter (end of update).
The Detroit Lions have been no strangers to injuries in recent weeks, and they saw yet another player come down with one early on in the preseason Week 2 game versus the Kansas City Chiefs.
In the first quarter of the contest, undrafted free agent and defensive end Isaac Ukwu took a cut block in the knee area and was shaken up, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
After being down for a bit, Ukwu was able to walk off the field under his own power, albeit slowly. There hasn't been an update on him since, and there may not be one until after the game, as the Lions aren't required to provide injury updates during preseason games. We'll update this article as soon as more is known.
Ukwu's injury is certainly notable after the rookie had a standout showing during the first preseason game. The Ole Miss product tallied a sack and two pressures in his preseason debut.
“Ukwu has kind of caught our eye, and I feel like it’s ever since late last week," head coach Dan Campbell said of the UDFA. "You’re starting to feel like, ‘Man, he’s got a little rush ability.’ It seems like every day, he makes something happen on a couple of plays that are pretty big. Sacks, pressures.”
Ukwu isn't the only undrafted free-agent defensive end to get hurt recently, as Nate Lynn, who also had a standout performance in preseason Week 1, suffered a season-ending injury in that game.
