Lions running back Ameer Abdullah has not played the last two weeks, but said on Tuesday that he feels 100 percent recovered from the neck injury he suffered against the Vikings on Thanksgiving.
That may not be enough for him to return to his spot in the lineup, however. Abdullah participated in practice last week before being declared inactive for the game against the Buccaneers and Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that his spot on the bench had more to do with his play than his health.
Abdullah has 505 yards on 150 carries this season and the Lions de-emphasized their long-suffering run game in the win over Tampa by calling passes on 71 percent of their offensive snaps. He said Tuesday he wants to “finish the season strong,” but acknowledged that he doesn’t know what the Lions are planning to do.
“That’s a coach’s call,” Abdullah said, via the Detroit Free Press. “That’s never in my hands and if the coaches feel like it’s in the best direction then maybe they know something I don’t. I’m always going to trust that, I’m always going to follow behind the leader of this team, and you’ll definitely get a lot more answers if you ask coach Caldwell these questions. But like I said for me, I’m always going to follow his lead. No matter what he thinks the direction is that week, I’m for it.”
Abdullah has a year left on his rookie deal, but the direction the Lions decide to take with Caldwell’s future will likely determine what the running back’s own future will look like in Detroit.