The Lions will have reinforcements on both sides of the ball for the playoffs. The Lions designated linebacker James Houston back from injured reserve Thursday, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The team also activated injured backup quarterback Jason Cabinda, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.
Houstonreturned to practice Thursday to begin a 21-day layoff. The second-year pro was sidelined for the second game of the season with a broken leg suffered in the opener. The 2022 sixth-round pick spent part of his rookie season on the practice squad before being promoted to the active roster. He was a key contributor for the Lions, recording eight sacks, seven tackles for loss and 11 QB hits in seven games (two starts).
The Lions could certainly use some help against Aidan Hutchinson. Charles Harris was in and out of the lineup, and players like Romeo Okwara and Julian Okwara combined for just four sacks. Cabinda spent the last four seasons in Detroit, where he appeared in 45 games and served primarily as a backup blocker. The veteran last saw the field in Week 3 and spent nearly three months on IR while nursing a knee injury.
