Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown banged up, but expects to play in Week 18

ALLEN PARK -- Amon-Ra St. Brown is dealing pinch knee and ankle injuries heading into nan play finale.

But moreover pinch nan Detroit Lions eliminated from playoff contention, nan All-Pro wide receiver is readying connected playing successful Chicago. St. Brown suffered an ankle sprain connected Thanksgiving, past dealt pinch knee irritation coming retired of nan crippled against nan Steelers. He moreover sewage banged up precocious successful past week’s crippled against nan Minnesota Vikings.

But St. Brown echoed his different banged-up teammates, saying location is 1 crippled left, and they don’t play capable successful a play to miss retired connected those. And nan 26-year-old was backmost astatine believe connected Thursday.

“I consciousness solid,” St. Brown said. “You know, I would opportunity a small banged up, but bully enough, bully capable to go. So that’s each that really matters.”

When asked why it was important for him to play contempt being eliminated, St. Brown said he knows it mightiness not matter successful nan expansive scheme. But he wants to beryllium location to extremity nan play pinch and for his teammates.

St. Brown said he doesn’t deliberation location are immoderate risks of making nan ankle aliases knee issues a longer-term rumor by playing done nan pain.

“We’re blessed to beryllium successful nan position that we are to play a athletics that we emotion to get paid to do what we do and spell retired location each Sunday and play,” St. Brown said. “And truthful I mean, I emotion this game. I want to beryllium retired location each crippled if I can. So, you know, for illustration I said, whether we’re undefeated aliases haven’t won a game, my extremity is to beryllium retired location each Sunday aliases Monday, immoderate time we play.

“And it’s conscionable different 1 for america to spell retired location and, you know, for maine to spell retired location and play and hopefully, you know, get a W.”

One point caller for St. Brown entering Sunday’s finale against nan Bears is that location aren’t immoderate playoff stakes involved. He noted really he hasn’t played a crippled for illustration this successful a agelong time, and he’s not utilized to it.

He knows “it sucks,” but that nan Lions person cipher to blasted but themselves for nan position they find themselves in. He knows cipher wants to bein this position, but he doesn’t consciousness for illustration location will beryllium immoderate struggle getting motivated aliases emotionally invested.

St. Brown added that nan locker room is right, and everyone knows they aren’t conscionable playing for themselves, but each subordinate connected nan section and successful that locker room.

The receiver has had different awesome play and is wrong scope of mounting aliases matching his career-high successful touchdowns (12). Through 16 games, St. Brown has 106 catches for 1,262 yards and 11 touchdowns. He became nan first subordinate successful convention history to person astatine slightest 90 catches done someone’s first 5 seasons. He has 4 consecutive years pinch astatine slightest 100 catches and 1,000 yards, pinch 3 consecutive reaching double-digit touchdowns.

When asked what this squad needs to do to get backmost to wherever they expect to be, St. Brown said he has assurance successful nan instauration and nan team’s leadership.

“I wish I had each nan answers correct now. I deliberation for us, man, like, a batch of america are still going to beryllium here,” St. Brown said. “The nucleus of this squad will still beryllium here. And I think. I deliberation that’s important. Just, you know, going into adjacent year, knowing nan guys that you person here, knowing you’re acquainted pinch nan players and nan coaches. So, I consciousness assured pinch nan guys that we have. I cognize we person a bunch of guys who tin make plays.

“And going into adjacent year, man, I deliberation we’ll conscionable beryllium that overmuch much quiet ... I deliberation guys will beryllium quiet because I don’t deliberation immoderate of america want to person a play for illustration we did this year, adjacent year. I deliberation that’s nan biggest thing, conscionable making judge we don’t repetition nan aforesaid things.”

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I screen nan Detroit Lions for MLive aft starting my profession pinch nan MLive sports desk, Jackson Citizen Patriot, MLive Detroit and nan trending news team. I americium a lifelong Michigander, Central Michigan...