Lions Linebacker Jack Campbell Says He Has Full Movement in Lower Body After Neck Injury

Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell said Wednesday he has full movement in his lower body and is making progress with movement in his upper body, in his first statement since a neck injury took him off the field on Nov. 1. Campbell issued the statement through the team’s X account on Nov. 4.

“I have full movement in my lower body, and I’m continuing to make progress with movement in my upper body,” Campbell said in the statement. “I know there’s still work ahead, but I remain very optimistic.”

First words from Campbell since Nov. 1

Campbell was hurt in the fourth quarter of the Lions’ Week 8 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 1, when he made a tackle against Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson. He stayed on the ground after the hit, was attended to by training staff and medical personnel, was loaded onto a backboard, and was carted off the field to a local Detroit hospital.

Before Wednesday, the updates had been general. The team said on Nov. 2 that preliminary results were positive as Campbell rested and recovered. Head coach Dan Campbell said during a radio interview on Tuesday, Nov. 3, that the linebacker was improving.

Dan Campbell spoke about the statement at a press conference on Nov. 4. “Especially being able to hear it from him, that means a lot,” he said. “Those are his and his family’s words. I know that always helps to know that he’s improving because at this point, that’s all you’re looking for.” He added that Campbell’s status was changing every eight to 10 hours in a good way, and that the team has counseling resources available for players who want them.

What comes next for Detroit

The Lions play the Miami Dolphins in Week 9, and Dan Campbell said the team plans to honor the linebacker by being ready for the game. “They’re not postponing this game,” he said. “And I know the only way to honor Jack, we know, the only way to honor Jack and what he really wants is to make sure that we’re locked in and ready to go.”

Campbell thanked the athletic trainers and medical personnel who cared for him on the field, and the medical team at Henry Ford Hospital and the Lions medical staff. Teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown said on a recent podcast appearance that seeing Campbell lying face-down on the field made him think of Campbell’s wife and newborn baby, and that he wanted his teammate to be well enough to play with his child.

Campbell, 26, is in his fourth NFL season, all with Detroit. The Lions drafted him with the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft after he played in college for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and signed him to a four-year, $81 million extension on May 21, 2026. Before the injury, he had not missed a game in his four-year career.

Reporting based on coverage by USA Today.