Detroit Lions get good injury news on likely starting DT Alim McNeill

After exiting Friday’s training camp practice to be evaluated for injury, presumed starting defensive tackle Alim McNeill has reportedly gotten good news.

According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, McNeill is believed to be okay after exiting Friday’s training camp practice. The Lions were evaluating McNeill for a neck injury.

McNeill, 26, is expected to be one of the Lions’ starting defensive tackles, and the hope is that the 6-foot-2, 310-pound defensive lineman can get back to his 2024 form. McNeill had totaled 25 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks before suffering a torn ACL in his right knee in December of 2024.

Sources: #Lions DT Alim McNeill (neck) is believed to be okay after leaving practice early on Friday.

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HC Dan Campbell told reporters: “He’s a huge piece for us on defense.” https://t.co/Fjkcq2F9uYpic.twitter.com/yQhQC9xuEt

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 1, 2026

McNeill would return last season in Week 7 versus Tampa Bay. The 2021 third-round pick admitted that he finally felt like himself again this past June during OTAs.

“It’s just how the body works. It takes time for stuff to come back a little bit,” McNeill said. “Some stuff was just not there (last year) no matter how hard I tried to do certain stuff, it just wasn’t there yet. It’s here now.”

Prior to his Friday exit from training camp, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that McNeill does look more like himself.

“Mac is very important. It is gonna be huge. I know we’re only two days in, but he does look better. He looks like he’s back to what he was. He’s healthy. And, I told you, he would never say anything about it. He never did last year.

“But, when we went back and watched clip after clip, back to back, to back, to back, to back, to back of all the season. When you start going through all of these, he was favoring the leg a little bit. I don’t think he even realized it,” Campbell said.

In his career, McNeill has tallied 151 tackles, 12.5 sacks, four passes defended and three forced fumbles.

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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Detroit Lions get good injury news on likely starting DT Alim McNeill