You know that feeling when you walk into a room and someone’s missing, and it just feels… off? That’s been the vibe at the Lions‘ OTAs lately. No Amon-Ra St. Brown on the field, and suddenly the energy shifts. He’s usually the guy hyping everyone up, catching everything thrown his way. But now? His absence is noticeable, and everyone’s wondering: Where’s the Lions’ wide receiver?

It turns out that the guy’s around, just not suiting up. The reason? Well, the word is, he had a little knee surgery after the 2024 season. Nothing major, just maintenance work. Recently, the 25-year-old wide receiver announced that he hasn’t been practicing due to a knee surgery he had after the season to “clean some stuff up.” The silver lining?

Well, if the reports are accurate, it shouldn’t affect the wideout’s availability for the 2025 season. Though he’s missing out on the Lions’ OTAs and won’t be available for the three-day mandatory training session this month, the guy is expected to be ready for the training camp that the Lions are set to kick off in July. Some good news for the head coach, Dan Campbell.

“I had a surgery on my knee after the season just to clean some stuff up,” St. Brown said. “So been rehabbing that, but I should be good to go.” Ever since the Lions kicked off their offseason activities, the two-time First Team All-Pro has been spending time working on the sidelines, rather than with his teammates. The WR admitted that his absence was related to the knee surgery he underwent immediately after the 2024 season. Though St. Brown didn’t confirm the specifics of surgery, but explained that it was simply a cleanup procedure of the knee.

The 25-year-old wideout will enter his fifth season with the Lions after his third consecutive Pro Bowl selection. The guy wrapped up his 2024 season with 115 receptions that he caught for 1,263 yards and a career-high 12 TDs. And yes, the guy managed to record his third consecutive 1,000+ yard season.

After a disappointing loss in the NFL divisional round earlier this year, despite being the No. 1 seed, St. Brown and the Lions are gearing up to kick off the 2025 season on a high note. “For us, it’s Super Bowl or nothing,” the wideout noted. But ahead of their Super Bowl campaign, Dan Campbell and Co. have a lot to tackle, especially in the injury department.

Dan Campbell wrapped up OTAs with health updates

The Lions’ offseason has been marked by injuries… and well, retirements. Last week, the Lions’ veteran center, Frank Ragnow, shocked the NFL world after announcing his retirement after seven seasons with the Lions. Ragnow’s career has been marred by certain injuries, whether a fractured throat, a busted ankle, a toe injury, you name it. Having said that, the guy hung up his cleats to prioritize his health and his family’s future.

Right after that went down, the rumor mill was buzzing that the 29-year-old former Lions’ center called it a career following contract disputes. However, Dan Campbell shed light on this and called it disrespectful. “Some of this stuff about contract talk, that’s disrespectful. That’s not what this was ever about,” the HC said. “He was the healthiest he had been in a long time.” Campbell confirmed that Ragnow was already considering retirement, and it had nothing to do with contract disputes.

Besides, the HC also addressed the injury concerns of the Lions’ active players. “Tyleik (Williams) hasn’t practiced… He’s done a little bit of a walkthrough…. He’s been grinding in the rehab.” The rookie tackle reportedly suffered a hamstring injury during his pro day. The HC noted that the rookies are being handled conservatively to make them ready for their rookie season.

But amidst all the chaos, Dan Campbell surely found something to cheer for. We’re talking about the second-year corner, Ennis Rakestraw. The guy missed most of the rookie season, following multiple hamstring injuries. But he’s back on track. “Ennis would be another guy that stood out… He had a good spring,” Campbell explained. Last—and fingers crossed, it stays this way, there’s Malcolm Rodriguez. The guy suffered an ACL tear in late November last year and required a typical 11-month recovery.

And when Campbell was asked when to expect Rodriguez back, the HC replied, “Conservatively, November. Probably November, somewhere in there.” All in all, with Frank Ragnow gone, St. Brown recovering from knee surgery, and a whole bunch of guys gearing up to return ahead of the 2025 season, Dan Campbell and Co. will now proceed to the mandatory training camp.