Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell says he has regained full movement in his lower body following a frightening neck injury suffered during Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Vikings. Campbell, 26, was carted off the field and taken to the hospital after making a tackle on Minnesota tight end T.J. Hockenson.
In a statement released Wednesday, Campbell said he is “continuing to make progress with movement in my upper body” and remains optimistic about his recovery.
“I’m incredibly encouraged by the progress I’ve made in such a short period of time. I have full movement in my lower body, and I’m continuing to make progress with movement in my upper body. I know there’s still work ahead, but I remain very optimistic. I’m taking things one day at a time, staying positive, and focusing on getting better.”
Campbell also thanked the training and medical staff who treated him on the field during the incident. Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters Tuesday that “the good news is he is improving.”
The injury rattled teammates, including star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who discussed the moment on his podcast Wednesday. St. Brown, a two-time All-Pro, said his first thoughts went to Campbell’s family rather than the game itself.
“I remember being out there on the field watching him, seeing him on the ground from a distance. All I could think about was his wife and his newborn baby that he just had a few months ago.”
Campbell and his wife, Megan, welcomed a son, Cooper James, in early July. St. Brown said he hopes Campbell can return to full health to be with his family.
“I just want him to be OK. To be able to play with his kid, honestly, and be normal. When things like that happen throughout the game or throughout the season, it does make it harder for us to go back and play. It’s like, damn, we took care of him, put him on a stretcher, sent him out to the hospital and now we have to go play again. That kind of sucks. But it’s what I signed up for. It’s what we signed up for. We get paid a lot of money to play this sport that we love. So, we gotta finish the game and things like that. But injuries like that make you put things in perspective. He has done that for a lot of us on our team. I’m thinking about Jack. We’re all thinking about Jack. We hope he continues to get better. All we can do is pray for him.”
Campbell, a first-time All-Pro in 2025, has not yet provided a timeline for his return. The Lions have not released further updates on his condition beyond the statements from Campbell and Dan Campbell this week.
Add comment