Mired in a three-game losing streak, the Lions are dealing with another setback made official on Tuesday.
Running back Kerryon Johnson has been placed on injured reserve due to a knee injury, the team announced.
Two seasons into a promising career, Johnson will be playing a shortened season once more after his rookie campaign ended with a trip to IR following only 10 games.
Johnson will miss at least the next eight games as the Lions, who were off to a surprisingly successful start, have fallen to 2-3-1 in a competitive NFC North.
It was in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings that Johnson sustained the injury as he left the game in the first quarter and never returned.
Johnson’s struggled a bit with just 3.3 yards per carry, but his 308 yards rushing lead the Lions by nearly 200 yards and his two rushing touchdowns are the only ground scores for Detroit this season.
In his absence, it’s likely the Lions — barring any transactions — will lean on fourth-season veteran and former Seahawk J.D. McKissic (109 yards on 15 carries) and sixth-round rookie Ty Johnson (83 yards on six carries).
Johnson will be out at least eight games, meaning he could potentially return in Week 16 at Denver.