Getting Eric Ebron (85) back would be a major boost for the Lions offense. Photo Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Eric Ebron hasn’t practiced in more than three weeks since injuring an ankle in a mock game at the start of training camp, but the third-year tight end said he hopes to be on the field when the Detroit Lions open the season Sept. 11 against the Indianapolis Colts.
“That’s really not in my hands,” Ebron said in his first comments since his Aug. 6 injury. “That’s up to the people upstairs. I hope. That’s all I can do. But it’s up to (coach Jim) Caldwell and the medical staff as far as what they want to do with me as far as Week 1 and further than that.”
So far, the Lions have taken a patient approach with Ebron’s rehab despite being extremely short-handed at the tight end position.
Top backup Brandon Pettigrew remains on the physically unable to perform list rehabbing from a torn ACL, and the Lions enter this week’s preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills with just four healthy tight ends on the roster in Cole Wick, Adam Fuehne, Orson Charles and Andrew Quarless.
Quarless will miss the first two games of the season because of a suspension.
“What I’m doing right now is kind of hurting us because it’s not as good as it can be or I’m not relieving as much stress off of Matt (Stafford) as I could as far as my abilities in that slot position or playing tight end,” Ebron said. “It’s kind of rough. I mean, that hurt the hell out of me. Just not being there and watching all these preseason games, it sucks.”
The Lions are counting on Ebron to play a major role on offense this fall, and the 10th pick of the 2014 draft was off to a good start in camp before his injury.
He said he initially feared that his season might be over when he got hurt, and is taking his rehab “as slowly as I possibly can to make sure that I’m back to what we were seeing that day.
“Because if I don’t get back there, then it’s not going to be a good season for myself.”
One of the most divisive players on the Lions’ roster, Ebron has been a disappointment so far in his career. He caught just 25 passes as a rookie, or 66 fewer than the player taken two picks after him, Odell Beckham Jr., and he has missed time his first two seasons with knee and hamstring injuries.
This year, Ebron said he’s determined to be “great,” and he doesn’t expect to have much rust to shake off when he gets back.
“Where do I see myself?” Ebron said. “That’s going to play itself out. A lot of that relies on my offensive coordinator and my quarterback and then I’m just going to go out there and do what I do best. Try to make plays and try to be a playmaker for our team.
“It’s pretty much all I can do. That’s what I have been doing, until obviously the situation that happened that day. Just pick back up where I left off.”
