Lions' Levy practices again, remains uncertain for game

Allen Park – Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy practiced for the second consecutive day Thursday, but his status for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars remains up in the air.

“It’s just a kind of return-to-play protocol, so he’s on that pace and trending in the right direction,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said.

The team hasn’t ruled out Levy playing, but they won’t rush him back after an eight-game injury absence. The aim is for him to return with no restrictions.

“No, the doctors take care of the rehab portion of it out on the field,” Caldwell said. “Working with him, they make a determination on how much he can do. If you see him in a ballgame that means he’s ready to roll.”

Although injuries have limited Levy to two games the past two seasons, the Lions are expecting him to perform at the same level he did from 2013-14, when he was one of the league’s premier players at his position.

“Obviously, I think when he comes back we plan on him being the old DeAndre Levy,” defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. “Whenever that time is when he does get on the field, we don’t expect anything less from him.”

In 2014, his last healthy season, Levy finished second in the NFL with 151 tackles, including a career-best 16 for a loss.

Lions’ Levy: Breaking Paterno’s leg ‘proudest’ college moment