Detroit Lions Fear Safety Tore Achilles

The Detroit Lions could be without one of their key cogs on defense for the remainder of the 2022 regular season. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport revealed safety Tracy Walker is believed to have suffered a torn Achilles in Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

#Lions S Tracy Walker, who had been impressive during the early part of the season, is believed to have suffered a torn Achilles on Sunday. That would knock him out for the season, sources say.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 26, 2022

Walker left the game early on Sunday afternoon, having only played eight defensive snaps. He was replaced in the lineup by Juju Hughes, who the Lions claimed in January after two years with the Los Angeles Rams. Hughes has yet to notch a start or interception since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2020.

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Walker joined the Lions as their 82nd pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He fought his way to a consistent starting role in his second year, notching 37 starts since 2019. The team signed him to a three-year, $25 million pact this past offseason to reward his efforts, so he should return to the Lions when healthy in 2023. In the meantime, the Lions will need to shore up their communication on the backend of their defense if they want to avoid another fourth-quarter collapse like Sunday's: they allowed a pair of touchdowns in the final eight minutes to fall to the Vikings 28-24.

Photo Credit: © David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports