Dan Campbell could be in trouble for how they handled an injury to Amon-Ra St. Brown last season. Should the NFL choose to hand down a punishment, it would only be because the Detroit Lions were exposed by the new Netflix show ‘Receiver.’
The standard has been set, but will the league apply the same principle?
Receiver, for those who don’t know, is an eight-part documentary series that follows some of the top pass-catchers in the National Football League throughout the 2023/24 season. St. Brown is one of them.
The particular incident in question took place very early on in the year— and the show. St. Brown reveals in the first episode that he suffered an injury to his oblique during Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons.
Looking back, the incident appeared to take place on a catch over the middle during the first quarter.
Amon-Ra St Brown 2023 oblique injury video
— Jimmy Liao MD – Detroit Lions Morning Rounds (@JimmyLiaoMD) July 11, 2024
-Thanks to Netflix Receiver, we now know it happened here in wk3 vs Falcons
-Next play, reaches for L oblique attachment to hip
-Finishes game AND plays next game vs Packers before taking 1 game off
-No long term concern pic.twitter.com/YZPGYFQdHr
St. Brown stayed in the game despite his ailment. He also played against the Green Bay Packers just four days later on Thursday night.
Amon-Ra St. Brown was injured!
That is where the potential NFL violation took place.
“We have a Thursday game after Atlanta. So, I can barely — I mean, I’m running but the pain is like, on a 10 it’s like at an eight. Eight or nine. And so I’m like ‘It’s too late for me not to play. The game plan’s in.’ Painkillers is something I really don’t like to take unless… unless it’s the Packers.”
— Amon-Ra St. Brown
St. Brown played the full game even though he was dealing with an oblique issue that required him to take painkillers. However, the 24-year-old did not appear on any of the team’s injury reports on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Detroit didn’t list him.
The Lions could (and should) face discipline from the NFL because they did not list St. Brown as injured while he was injured. The precedent was established last year with the Falcons, ironically enough.
Atlanta and then-head coach Arthur Smith failed to report an illness that hindered Bijan Robinson during Week 7. They were fined $75,000 and $25,000 respectively for not following league protocol.
If the same rules are to apply for all teams, Detroit should receive a $75,000 fine for failing to report Amon-Ra St. Brown’s oblique injury. Dan Campbell should be fined $25,000.
St. Brown made five catches for 56 yards while on painkillers against the Packers. He actually did not play the following week and was listed on the injury report, so clearly it was a legitimate, known issue.
It was not accidental neglect. St. Brown was legitimately hurt and his team failed to make note of the injury as required by the NFL. The Lions should face the same punishment as the Falcons as a result.
Either way, don’t be surprised if the wide receivers featured on this upcoming season of Receiver are less excited to share inside information. Especially when it comes to injuries.