Defensive end Ahmed Hassanein, a 2025 sixth-round pick out of Boise State, appeared to injure his chest in the third quarter Saturday, Aug. 16.
The Detroit Lions are dealing with another injury on their defensive line.
Rookie defensive end Ahmed Hassanein left Saturday's preseason loss to the Miami Dolphins with what appeared to be a chest injury after he was blocked to the ground on a third-quarter running play.
Hassanein, a sixth-round pick out of Boise State who was expected to play a depth role for the Lions this fall, clutched at his right chest as he lay on the ground before being tended to by trainers.
He left the field and went immediately to the locker room. Lions coach Dan Campbell said Hassanein will undergo further evaluation Sunday.
"Out of the (injuries) we had today, he might be the one that could be a minute," Campbell said. "It could be a little bit, so we’ll know more in the morning. Everybody else I think we got out OK."
The Lions entered training camp shorthanded on the defensive line after Levi Onwuzurike underwent offseason surgery to repair a torn ACL. Onwuzurike will miss the season, and Alim McNeill, Josh Paschal and Mekhi Wingo have yet to practice this summer and are expected to miss the start of the regular season with injuries.
If Hassanein is out for an extended time, it could open a roster spot for one of several young linemen competing for a job. Isaac Ukwu had one sack Saturday and a second nullified by penalty, and Nate Lynn had tied for second on the team with four tackles.
Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, DJ Reader and Tyleik Williams have taken most of the starter reps on the defensive line this summer, and Roy Lopez, Pat O'Connor and Al-Quadin Muhammad are the top backups.
Defensive tackles Myles Adams, Chis Smith and undrafted rookie Keith Cooper also are competing for roster spots.
"(Lynn is) having a pretty good camp," Campbell said. "Cooper's having a pretty good camp. We’ve got a few guys in there that they’re turning our heads. Myles Adams – I got to see the tape and see all of it today, but Myles’ has had a pretty good camp, too, so that whole D-line unit’s doing pretty good right now.”
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions DE Ahmed Hassanein 'could be (out) a minute' with chest
Category: Football
