Detroit Lions LB ‘close’ to return

The Detroit Lions could be getting a key starter back on defense before their biggest game of the season.

The Lions opened linebacker Alex Anzalone’s return-to-practice window Wednesday, a little more than six weeks after he broke his left forearm in a Nov. 17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Lions coach Dan Campbell said Anzalone would miss six to eight weeks at the time of his injury, and Anzalone had been targeting a playoff return – with the possibility of returning before the playoffs if the Lions’ Week 18 game against the Minnesota Vikings meant anything.

The Lions and Vikings meet Sunday in a battle of 14-2 teams. The winner wins the NFC North and gets the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs. The loser is the No. 5 seed and will play on the road in the wild-card round.

Asked about Anzalone’s potential return after Monday’s win over the San Francisco 49ers, Campbell said, “We’ll see.”

“I mean, he’s doing well,” Campbell said. “He’s close. He’s really close.”

Anzalone’s return would be a welcome addition to a defense that’s been without six starters in recent weeks: Anzalone, linebacker Derrick Barnes, cornerback Carlton Davis and defensive linemen Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport and Alim McNeill. Backup linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez also is out for the season with a torn ACL.