As the Lions try to get their first win Sunday, it won’t hurt that they’ll get their best defensive player back on the field.
Via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Lions coach Jim Caldwell named linebacker DeAndre Levy a game captain, and confirmed he was ready to play after missing seven weeks with a strained hip muscle.
“I would assume you could probably make that assumption [that he plays],” Caldwell said.
Levy was injured in practice on Aug. 24, and only began practicing last week, and they’re hoping for an immediate impact.
“Obviously, any time you have a guy that has that kind of experience that he’s had and the fine play that he’s had through the years, that certainly makes a huge difference,” Caldwell said. “Every year’s different, but he adds a boost to us. He’s a guy that, in the run and pass, can be a factor in the game.”
Levy led the team in tackles last year, and they rewarded him with a four-year extension in August, shortly before the injury.
Levy led the Lions with 151 tackles last year and tied for second in the NFL with six interceptions in 2013.