Okudah Tears Achilles; Will Miss Rest Of Season

DETROIT — Detroit Lions starting cornerback Jeff Okudah will miss the rest of the reason after rupturing his Achilles tendon in Sunday's 41-33 loss against the San Francisco 49ers, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said during a news conference.

"I hate it for him first and for us as a team because he was really coming around," Campbell said.

Okudah's injury is significant for the Lions because they are extremely young and inexperienced at the cornerback position.

Amani Oruwariye, who is only in his third year is expected to replace Okudah as the Lions' top cornerback, and that'll leave them very thin in the defensive backfield, probably propelling them to sign someone off the practice squad.

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The Lions made Okudah the highest drafted cornerback since Shawn Springs in 1997, when they made him the third pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Okudah then went on to have a disappointing rookie season. It began with a hamstring injury early in training camp that caused him to miss last year's season opener. He then returned to play in nine games before undergoing season ending surgery to heal a core muscle injury.

Okudah was nothing short of a disappointment in the nine games he played in last year. He allowed a 77.4% completion rate on passes thrown his way for an average of 14.5 yards.

Despite training camp reports stating Okudah looked more confident in his approach, 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel beat him for a 79-yard touchdown on Sunday against the 49ers before he limped off the field with the Achilles injury.

An Achilles tear is historically one of the worst injuries for an athlete.

According to a study published by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society from 2010 to 2015, 26% of the players who suffered an Achilles tendon rupture never played again.

For the ones who were fortunate enough to make it back on the field, it took an average of nine months to return.