Detroit Lions star linebacker Jack Campbell suffered a neck injury on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, and his status has been of concern since he lay motionless on the Ford Field turf.
Medical personnel placed Campbell on a backboard and took him off the field after the incident during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 19–15 win for the Lions. Campbell was transported to a Detroit area hospital, where he has been recovering since Sunday.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell, no relation, gave an update on Tuesday during an appearance on 97.1 The Ticket. His star linebacker has been a significant part of the squad since the Lions took him with a No. 18 pick in 2023.
“The good news is he is improving,” Dan Campbell told The Ticket’s Jim Costa and Jon Jansen.
The coach also addressed the impact of Jack Campbell’s injury on the team. Lions players gathered around the linebacker for about 10 minutes after the injury occurred when the former Iowa standout made a tackle against former Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson, now with the Vikings.
“Well, I think the thought of him—knowing he’s doing better—you know, and I’ve kept the captains up to date and they’ve let the other guys know is good news,” Dan Campbell told The Ticket. “So, I think that helps everybody just get a better handle on all this.”
“Once you know that, then you gotta move on for yourself, too, in that moment,” he said. “Because if you let things wander and you drift and you worry a little and then you’re trying to play or prepare, that’s where bad things can happen to you because you’re not all in on what you need to be doing.”
The head coach also emphasized that the team will move forward on the field without him, even with heavy hearts at the moment. Jack Campbell has been one of the main stars of the team, and he had a monster 2025 season where he made first-team All-Pro and won the Butkus Award.
“We got a job to do, and this is what we’re tasked with, and there’s a reason why we go through all this stuff,” Dan Campbell said. “It’s to get to where we wanna go collectively as a team, and adversity comes in all shapes and sizes, and we gotta overcome everything that comes our way.”
Detroit faced an injury-riddled season in 2024 and still acquired the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a 15–2 record. The Lions have a plethora of injuries already this season, but Jack Campbell’s neck injury adds a whole other layer to things, and Lions quarterback Jared Goff called it “the scariest” when he visited with The Ticket on Tuesday.
“We’re doing all right,” Goff told The Ticket. “Obviously, a lot of injuries that affected a lot of guys’ seasons, but certainly the one that’s the scariest is Jack.”
“And again, yeah, the positive updates are great, and we know that, yeah, things are heading in the right direction right now and hoping for the best for him,” Goff added.
Goff and Campbell have been teammates from the beginning in 2023, and they have been key parts of the Lions’ resurgence in recent years. Detroit has a 6–2 record at the moment, so everything is in front of a contending team looking to get back to the playoffs despite missing out last year with a 9–8 record.
“So, that’s why it’s important that you get back to your own business,” Dan Campbell told The Ticket. “All we can do at this point is just continue to pray for Jack, put our thoughts on him when we have a minute, and his family, and it’s working, like I said, because he is improving.”
Dan Campbell visited his linebacker in the hospital on Sunday, and the coach told reporters on Monday that things looked promising then. The Lions also released a statement about Jack Campbell recovering and that “preliminary indications are positive.”
“It was good. It was positive,” Dan Campbell told reporters during the first minute of the press conference. “Got to see his parents and talk to his wife. Everybody is in good spirits. It’s about the recovery, and it’s a small setback. That’s the family. They are very positive.”
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