Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell remained hospitalized overnight after suffering a serious neck injury during the team’s Week 8 game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Campbell went down on the turf at Ford Field and was not moving after hitting Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson. He was placed on a backboard and carted off the field in the fourth quarter in the team’s 19-15 win. His teammates were in tears as he was being helped off the ground.
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Lions head coach Dan Campbell had the All-Pro linebacker on his mind after the victory. As he addressed the team in the locker room, he said he didn’t have any more information about the defender’s status but led a prayer for the player.
“So, here’s what I wanna do, man. We’re gonna take a knee,” the coach said. “Now, I wanna pray for Jack and let’s keep him in our thoughts and prayers, man.”
Dan Campbell offered his prayers to the player and his family when he spoke to reporters as well.
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“Our thoughts and prayers are with Jack and his family,” the Lions coach said. “He’s being taken care of. We don’t have any new information. We’ll keep you updated as this goes, but we’re thinking about him.”
Detroit said Jack Campbell was “resting and will remain in a local hospital tonight, for continued evaluation and monitoring.” The team said it would release more updates as they have them.
Hockenson talked about the Campbell play after the game and offered prayers and “good vibes” to his opponent and his family.
“Prayers out to Jack Campbell, man, and his family,” Hockenson said. “I was in on that play. I didn’t see what happened, but that’s an Iowa guy. I know Jack. I just want to send good vibes to him and his family and his locker room. We’re competitors but at the end of the day, we’re on the same team. We put our body on the line every Sunday.
“It’s hard. Like, I said, we do this every single Sunday. We go out there. We know what we signed up for but you never want to see anyone go down. … Get down on one knee, say a prayer and hope for the best. God’s got him in His hands and He’s got plans for him. But just got to keep playing, unfortunately, and just get back in the mindset of, ‘The game goes on.’”
The defender was named a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro selection for the first time after the 2025 season. He had 176 tackles and five sacks last season for the Lions. He had played in every game since he entered the NFL in 2023 as a first-round pick out of Iowa.
This season, Campbell had played in all seven games, recovered one fumble and recorded 57 tackles. He signed a four-year contract extension with the team last May.
OutKick’s Armando Salguero contributed to this report.
