NFL teams
Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff Writer 4y

Detroit Lions WR Kenny Golladay doubtful with hamstring injury

NFL, Detroit Lions

Pro Bowl wide receiver Kenny Golladay of the Detroit Lions is doubtful for Sunday's season opener against the Chicago Bears after missing the past two days of practice with a hamstring injury.

Earlier in the week, Lions coach Matt Patricia said the injury popped up on Wednesday and that the club was trying to be careful with it. Golladay was listed as not practicing Thursday and went through stretching, but he did not participate in individual drills Friday.

Patricia said earlier Friday he expected Golladay to be "pretty limited" during practice.

"One thing that we're trying to do, and you'll see it on the injury report a lot, is we're trying to prevent them from being [a] long-term type of soft-tissue injuries," Patricia said. "So even if we get guys that are tight, that may be on the milder side, maybe a seven-, 10-, 14-day type stuff, we're trying to prevent the four-week type of injury there."

Patricia then said he is taking Golladay's injury "day to day."

Golladay led the Lions with 1,190 yards and an NFL-best 11 receiving touchdowns last season. If Golladay is unable to play Sunday, he would likely be replaced in the lineup by a combination of Marvin Hall and rookie fifth-round pick Quintez Cephus opposite Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola.

Hall is a speed option who developed more of a route tree this offseason, and Cephus is a possession receiver who displayed good hands and contested-catch ability during training camp.

The Lions will also be without their starting right tackle, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who missed Thursday's and Friday's practices with a foot injury. Vaitai twice left practice during training camp with undisclosed injuries. Tight end Hunter Bryant (hamstring) and safety C.J. Moore (hamstring) have also been ruled out for Detroit.

Defensive end Da'Shawn Hand (groin), cornerback Jeff Okudah (hamstring) and defensive end Julian Okwara (knee) are questionable. Running back D'Andre Swift (hip) is good to go without an injury designation after practicing in full Friday.

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