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Lions Week 5 postgame injury report following win over Bengals

October 6, 2025
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Lions fans got a bit of a surprise before the Bengals game when Taylor Decker was downgraded from questionable to doubtful. This meant that 2nd-year Giovanni Manu was going to get his first start in the NFL – and at the extremely critical position of left tackle.

While the Lions emerged with a comfortable 37-24 win, there were a lot of rocky moments from Manu that helped result in 4 team sacks – many of the blindside variety.

With Taylor Decker dealing with persistent shoulder issues at age 32, it’s Manu who may be the long-term (and short-term) future at one of the OT positions opposite Penei Sewell.

Early returns for Manu might be shaky, but it’s not fair to judge him on what may be yet to come. To quote Miles Dyson in Terminator 2: “You’re judging me on things I haven’t even done yet.”

The immediate health status of Decker is uncertain, which means Manu might get an opportunity to show improvement as soon as this Sunday in Kansas City.

While Jared Goff survived his hard hits during the Bengals game, there were other Lions who did not escape unscathed. The most concerning injury was to Kalif Raymond who had a mechanism that put the spine at risk. Thankfully, early indications are reassuring.

While Raymond’s outcome is looking favorable, Terrion Arnold’s is looking worse than expected. Here are the injuries from the game along with suspected diagnoses.

Kalif Raymond – neck (1q 3:17)

There is a reason the NFL penalizes players for lowering their heads on tackles – the mechanism can cause a spinal cord compression injury to the tackler. The same risk applies to ballcarriers who lower their heads.

Raymond lowers his head here and takes a direct blunt trauma to the crown of his helmet. He was seen flexing his hands and wiggling his fingers which could indicate neurologic symptoms like tingling.

This injury mechanism brought back memories of Saivion Smith’s temporary paralysis in 2022. Smith had subsequent spine fusion surgery but was able to fully recover to participate in training camp the next season.

Fortunately, there was no indication of any temporary paralysis for Raymond, and he was allowed to walk off the field. If there was any concern, the medical staff would have called for a spine board.

On Monday, Dan Campbell stated: “We’ll see where Lif’s at on Wednesday, we’ll know more.”

Imaging, such as MRI/CT to evaluate the cervical spine, seems likely. The other concern for Raymond is a possible concussion. He presumably passed a concussion evaluation, but should still be monitored for delayed symptoms.

OUTLOOK: Best-case scenario for Raymond is a soft tissue strain, which would allow him to return to the field as soon as this week. If there is anything concerning based on imaging or his symptoms, he’ll be sidelined for a while.

Brian Branch – right leg contusion (3q 2:41)

Branch appears to take a knee to the right lower leg muscle. He limped off but was able to return quickly after having a protective pad adhered. Any swelling will be monitored, but there is minimal concern going forward.

Interestingly, this is the second contusion to Branch’s right lower leg this season. In Week 2, he was kicked in approximately the same area and also limped off.

OUTLOOK: A contusion is not a problem, and Branch should be fully available for the next game.

Terrion Arnold – right shoulder or pec strain (3q 00:32)

Arnold left the previous game against the Browns with a right shoulder injury but recovered quickly enough to play yesterday. He may have aggravated the injury trying to make a tackle. The pulling and grabbing mechanism during the tackle attempt could cause a pec strain or rupture. The mechanism in the previous game was also concerning for a pec injury. Here are the videos of his injuries in the past two games:

Dan Campbell delivered bad news on Monday: “He’s going to be out for a long-time. Don’t know if [out for season].”

OUTLOOK: The diagnosis is uncertain, but it sounds like Arnold is headed to IR with a best-case scenario of a return late in the season.

Rock Ya-Sin – cramps (4q 10:43 & 4:50)

Ya-Sin appeared to leave the game twice with cramps. Due to injuries to DJ Reed and Arnold, this was by far Ya-Sin’s most extensive action (29 defensive snaps) of the season, so fatigue is a likely factor. He should be better acclimated for next game.

OUTLOOK: Ya-Sin should be just fine for this week and is looking like he’ll be the starting CB for a while.

Amon-Ra St. Brown – possible right AC joint sprain (4q 9:02)

St. Brown lands very hard on his right shoulder which can cause an AC joint sprain. He was visibly trying to work things out after the play, but stayed in the game.

OUTLOOK: AC joint injuries can be played through, so I don’t expect St. Brown’s availability to be affected.

TIDBITS

  • Khalil Dorsey missed the Bengals game presumably due to a wrist injury. On Monday, Dan Campbell stated: “He’ll be out for a while.” While unconfirmed, the absence is likely related to the wrist injury suffered last week in practice and not the concussion suffered in the Browns game. Dorsey did not go on IR before the Bengals game, but it sounds like he’s headed there. This is another hit to the Lions CB position along with Reed, Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw.
  • Kerby Joseph played 100% of snaps while wearing a left knee brace for the first time this season. He had been dealing with a left knee issue since early in training camp. He may have aggravated that injury or suffered a new injury in the previous game. A mild PCL injury is possible based on the video.

This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions Week 5 postgame injury report following win over Bengals

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