Lions running back Sione Vaki was the subject of a freak injury at training camp this week.
Head coach Dan Campbell told reporters Tuesday that the third-year running back broke his nose and got poked in the eye during Monday’s practice and will miss some time.
“We’re hopeful, vision should be okay in time,” Campbell said. “We’re not gonna have him here today, just gonna let him kind of recover a little but. So we think he’ll be okay. He’s just gonna need a minute here.
“Just one of those freak things, somehow a hand gets through the facemask. It was unbelievable.”
Vaki spent a good chunk of his first two years working on special teams, but is looking to show the coaching staff his capabilities on offense in his third year.
With Jahmyr Gibbs holding out for a new contract and not practicing, Vaki was seeing some first-team reps alongside Isiah Pacheco.
The Lions signed veteran running back Raheem Blackshear on Tuesday.
They also had three other running backs in for a tryout, the most prominent of which was former first-rounder Clyde Edwards-Helaire, alongside Hassan Haskins and Kylin James.
Pacheco, Jacob Saylors, Jabari Small, and Kye Robichaux are the other running backs at practice.
Pacheco had been the starter in camp with Gibbs not practicing, and Campbell mentioned Saylors and Small when discussing who could take on more reps and potentially earn a role in camp in the absence of Vaki.
Vaki, 25, was drafted by the Lions 132nd overall in the fourth round of the 2024 draft after two seasons at Utah.
